Sixteen homes in Edgecumbe have been destroyed by the flood which swamped the Bay of Plenty town earlier this month, but at least $47,000 has already been raised to help the town recover.
Three weeks on from the day the Rangitaiki River burst its banks, a total of 555 homes in Edgecumbe and surrounding areas have been assessed by Whakatane District Council. Of these, 257 have been 'white stickered', 282 have been 'yellow stickered' and 16 'red stickered'.
Spray painted messages of 'No go' mark those red-stickered homes deemed not fit for living in by Whakatane District Council. Piles of contaminated possessions sit on the silt-covered streets for collection as residents try to sort through their properties but people still wave out and smile.
Council public affairs manager Ross Boreham said while the red-stickered homes were classed as uninhabitable, yellow stickered homes could be restored. Those properties suffered damage but could still be saved and residents could enter the houses, provided they were escorted. By comparison, white stickered-homes were lucky - not suffering from any major flood damage.
Mr Boreham said there were still inspections in remote areas to be completed, but most homes had now been seen, and the flood response from the council had begun a 'recovery phase'.
