Nerves on edge as summer from hell continues

More heavy rain, a tornado, and possibly another cyclone – it’s a lot more stress for communities that are already struggling to cope, and raises serious questions about the rebuild. Rachel Thomas reports.

When the weekend rain became a weekend torrent, Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson’s first thought was simply: Not again, Mother Nature.

Water pelted down, causing more surface flooding across a city that’s still struggling to recover from a historic storm and cyclone in quick succession.

Down in Hawke’s Bay, Esk Valley residents – already devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle – were forced to flee once more in the face of heavy rain warnings.

There, Emergency Management group controller Ian Macdonald, who has spent much of the past fortnight hauling a region out of the mud, had much the same reaction as Simpson: Here we go again.

As if that weren’t enough, a tornado ‘‘100m wide’’ hit Waihi Beach yesterday morning, sounding like a train or missile roaring through, taking down power lines and damaging multiple houses.

And it’s not over yet. More heavy rain is forecast for Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne tomorrow, with thunderstorms expected for Auckland.

Speaking from cyclone-hit Muriwai yesterday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said everyone needed to be prepared for heavy weather, including plans for pets, children and elderly or disabled family members.

‘‘Make sure you have your grab and go kit ready. Weather can be notoriously unpredictable, and you don’t know with any certainty where is going to be the most affected when a severe weather event hits.’’

Emergency responders and community leaders remain on edge, and Simpson says it’s a lot of pressure for people who are already struggling to cope.

‘‘I just don’t think we can underestimate the mental trauma and stress that these communities are feeling.’’

Niwa principal scientist Chris Brandolino says while it’s difficult to say how bad things