Pupils sent home as storm hits
Taranaki’s main route north has been blocked by a slip and a rural school in the region’s south were evacuated yesterday as the remains of Tropical Cyclone Debbie continue to lash New Zealand.
Taranaki civil defence emergency management was activated to monitor the wild weather, which is set to bring about a month’s rain over two days..
Civil defence controller Shane Briggs said the ‘‘area of immediate concern’’ was the Waitotara river.
Its headwaters were running at least five to six metres higher than usual, with further heavy rain in the eastern hill country expected overnight.
As a result of the rising river, the Waitotara Valley Road has been closed, which forced the evacuation of Ngamatapouri School.
‘‘No evacuation of Waitotara township is currently considered necessary, based on both data and observations so far,’’ Briggs said.
However, depending on the weather last evening this could change.
‘‘If there’s a knock on the door at 10pm, it will be because the situation has become serious,’’ Briggs said.
The New Zealand Transport Agency advised a large slip had blocked State Highway 3, three kilometres south of the Awakino Tunnel.
The Metservice has issued numerous heavy rain and strong wind warnings across the North Island and top of the South Island.