Ex-cyclone Hale swept through the east coast of the North Island last Monday night and lingered in the area through to Wednesday, with the storm causing widespread damage and dumping record levels of rain in the Coromandel.
According to the regional monitoring network, Waikato Regional Council, the Coromandel received 800 millimetres of rain from January 1 to January 11 - a new record.
On their website, Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC) said Hale had “left significant damage along the east coast, especially between Cooks Beach and Matarangi. Our council’s staff and contractors have done an initial assessment, and we’ve already started urgent repairs and clean-up. We need to prioritise what gets fixed, and when.”
“While no exact cost figures are confirmed yet, we expect the bill to repair the coastal areas from ex-cyclone Hale will run into ‘serious’ six-figure [numbers]. We’ve already made a start removing debris, and fixing and fencing off infrastructure and assets along the coast that pose health and safety risks or have been damaged and are unsafe to use.”
“All roads in Thames-Coromandel have been reopened, with no communities isolated. Several roads have stop-go traffic management in place or temporary speed restrictions. Great care is advised on all roads. Further tree falls and slips can occur due to waterlogged ground.”
