Road users warned clean-up will take time
Waikato deals with aftermath of Gabrielle
The weather is looking up for Waikato, but the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle will take a while to clear. Clean-up work continued at pace on Thursday but road users are warned to expect significant disruption and potential delays, especially in the Coromandel.
SH25 has reopened in sections for essential travel only, restoring access between Thames and Matarangi, while slips between Hikuai and Whangamata have also been cleared.
People in towns on the east coast like Whitianga and Tairua can now leave the peninsula and supplies can get in.
State Highway 2, Paeroa to Waihi through the Karangahake Gorge, has reopened to essential travel only, but extreme caution is required with debris and mud on the road.
Some sections have temporary speed limits in place.
At the time of writing, SH25 was still closed between Ruamahanga Bay and Tapu on the Thames-coast Highway due to the risk posed by a slip with suspended trees. Only emergency services and Civil Defence can get through.
Thames-coromandel District Council urged people to not ignore road closed signs.
“Waka Kotahi contractors have brought police out at two key state highway points to stop drivers breaking the rules and also to stop the public abusing staff,” the council said in a Facebook post.
Do not venture out for a sightseeing roadie, you will not get far.
Garry Towler
The cyclone which hit on Monday, caused numerous flooded roads, power outages and major roads to close with Coromandel hit hard.
The Defence Force deployed staff to the Coromandel on Wednesday to help. The district has been isolated for almost two days as all major arterial roads were closed and power outages were widespread.
Coromandel Civil Defence controller Garry Towler told Kerre Woodham Mornings on Newstalk ZB on Wednesday: “Every time our land guys clear a slip, another one comes down right behind them.”
Towler says if people want to visit their homes and baches, they should “take a breath” and check the NZTA website and social media pages for road conditions.
“People need to have a go-bag and Plan B in case a slip blocks their path,” Towler says.
However, he urges people not to go out for an adventure.
“Do not venture out for a sightseeing roadie, you will not get far. Please take care if you are out for a walk along the beaches and waterways, the coastline is still getting a battering from huge seas.”
With several people throughout the district still displaced by the cyclone, the council was working to ensure accommodation, food and wider needs are being met. It expects this to be an ongoing task well into next week.
The Government declared a national state of emergency on Tuesday. Waikato and Hauraki district councils declared states of emergency on Monday. Thamescoromandel District Council has been in a state of emergency since the Auckland Anniversary weekend.
Hamilton has started the postcyclone clean-up; however, the city came through better than many parts of the country.
The city council received more than 350 calls, 138 emails and 75 Antenno messages on Monday night, reporting issues.
Civil Defence controller Kelvin Powell says: “Some of the larger trees will take time to clear so please be patient.”