Floods widespread as storm passes by
A stream that burst its banks in Ngongataha, Rotorua, forced evacuations from nearby homes and trapped visitors and staff at a tourist attraction.
Thirty-two people were trapped on Sunday afternoon at the Agrodome. Water from the Ngongataha stream began entering people’s properties, forcing the evacuation of residents of about 30 homes.
Spokesman Scott Osmond said Fire Service personnel were helping to evacuate those trapped.
Twelve customers and about
20 staff were stuck at the farm park until Fire and Emergency New Zealand arrived and evacuated them to a clear road.
‘‘Both customers and staff were all kept safe, warm and dry inside Agrodome’s main building until fire services were able to evacuate them to a clear road where they were collected by taxis and buses,’’ Nga¯i Tahu Tourism said.
Western Rd was blocked by the Ngongataha Stream, which runs through the farm park.
A Rotorua Lakes Council statement said water was entering the properties of at least
30 houses along the road. Emergency services were evacuating residents from the area. Transport was being organised for the residents to take them to the emergency welfare centre.
The council’s Emergency Operations Centre was activated and Civil Defence teams were mobilised. The emergency welfare centre was opened on Sunday afternoon at the Energy Centre for displaced residents.
The Agrodome will be closed on Monday, or until full structural checks can be made to the bridge and a site inspection has been completed.
COROMANDEL
Six campers were trapped by Nga¯ i Tahu Tourism heavy rain at Wentworth Valley, near Whangamata. They are understood to be stuck, but were safe on Sunday.
The storm system hitting Waikato, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty continued into the early afternoon.
Further north, in Pauanui, several roads were flooded on Sunday, including Beach Rd, which a resident said was a metre under water. The Hauraki Plains were hit hard as well.
Hauraki District Council said there were reports of localised flooding in residential areas of Waihi, causing road closures.
The Ohinemuri River Bridge on Barry Road, Waihi, has been closed as a precautionary measure until it can be assessed by a structural engineer.
State Highway 25 between Whiritoa and Whangamata was closed most of Sunday due to flooding, but re-opened at 5pm.
State Highway 25 between Whiritoa and Whangamata was closed due to flooding.
CANTERBURY
South Canterbury also copped sustained rainfall.
Residents of three properties in central Timaru were evacuated after a bank collapsed.
Timaru District Council communications manager Stephen Doran said a section of a bank slipped behind the middle of the three houses on Sunday afternoon, and the dwellings either side of it were also evacuated as a precaution.
POWER OUTAGES
‘‘A small handful’’ of Auckland residents remained without power on Sunday morning after a number of trees and lines came down, a Vector spokesman said.
Crews had restored power to most of the 1100 homes affected.