The sting in the storm’s wintry tail
The storm may have passed, but it’s left road closures and power outages in its wake, while flood warning systems at Mangaweka have failed.
State Highway 1, north of Hunterville and through the Desert Rd to Rangipo, remained closed due to snow and ice last night. It could take a day or more before the highway reopens.
SH46, from Waiouru to Ohakune, and SH4, from Whanganui to Raetihi, were also closed due to snow.
Horizons Regional Council catchment data manager Jeff Watson said because of this week’s storm, the Rangitikei River flood warning system at Mangaweka wasn’t working.
Workers were frantically trying to fix the problem.
The Horizons hydrology team was also warning that melting snow was making the Turakina River rise fast enough to potentially create problems late yesterday.
Models were indicating the river was to peak at 8.5 metres at O’neill’s Bridge, about 9pm last night.
Roads around Hunterville had also been affected by the wintry weather. Mt Curl Rd remained closed last night, following a slip.
Crews were continuing to work on slips on Turakina Valley, Pohonui Ongo and Mangahoe roads.
Warnings were also in place for Turakina Valley Rd, because of the high river.
Taihape-napier Rd also remained closed last night, as did Ruahine Rd, north of Rangiwahia.
Warnings were in place for roads north of Kimbolton, with Oroua Valley Rd closed yesterday.
Heavy rain and flooding had also caused SH56 near Opiki to be closed off, between Tane and Alve roads.
The Moutoa floodgates, between Shannon and Foxton, were opened at 3.40am yesterday and were expected to stay open until tomorrow. Horizons emergency operations centre controller Craig Grant said this was as a result of the Manawatu River’s high levels.
Although the bad weather had eased by early yesterday afternoon and was slowly heading north, some people were without power in the lower North Island.
Residents in Taihape were expected to get power back on last night.
However, some rural residents might be without power for another one or two days.
Power was out to many other places in Rangitikei, including Ohakune, Whakapapa, and Raetihi. At the Skotel Alpine Resort and Chateau Tongariro, about 500 people are snowed in.