A makeshift culvert crossing over the Mangaone River at Rissington, after Cyclone Gabrielle took out the existing road bridge. Photo / Paul Taylor
A makeshift culvert crossing over the Mangaone River at Rissington, after Cyclone Gabrielle took out the existing road bridge. Photo / Paul Taylor
One month on from Cyclone Gabrielle, local authorities are beginning to understand the scope of the most significant weather event to impact Hawke’s Bay since regional council records began.
Eight people died in Hawke’s Bay, two in Auckland and one in Tairāwhiti after Cyclone Gabrielle.
According to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), 87 homes in Hawke’s Bay had been red-stickered, while 1034 homes had been yellow-stickered as of March 2.
Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced that the state of emergency over the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions will end at 8:43am on Tuesday.
A national transition period now covers the Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions and the Tararua, Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa districts.
McAnulty said in a statement that a national transition period provides local Civil Defence teams with the powers they may need during the recovery, such as clearing roads and disposing of dangerous materials.
“We are committed to a locally led recovery, supported by central government. The national transition period will ensure that national-level support and resources are co-ordinated,” he said.
A Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) statement said five kilometres of the 248km stopbank network were breached in the flooding, with 160 contractors currently working on stopbank repairs that are expected to take months.
HBRC measured rainfall levels were 500 per cent above normal across the region, surpassing forecasts in one area by more than 250 millimetres.
The Glengarry rain gauge used to monitor the Esk Valley got 502mm over 24 hours, equivalent to nearly six months of rainfall.
River flow statistics are still being validated, but averaging more than 1000 per cent above normal.
Of the 113 rain and river level monitoring sites that went down due to a communication breakage, 99 per cent are restored.
Just under $500,000 has been distributed to applicants from the $3 million in the HBRC disaster relief trust.
All of Hawke’s Bay’s regional parks - Waitangi, Pākōwhai, Pekepeka, Tūtira and Waipatiki - experienced significant damage.
The statement said a phased re-opening is looking likely later this month.
A rescue from Esk Valley on the morning of Tuesday, February 14. Photo / NZDF
Regional council chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby said her thoughts are with those in the community who lost whānau and friends, and those who have lost homes, businesses and livelihoods.
“Many people in the community are struggling and on a long road to recovery. We will support the community in any way we can to move forward, and we will do this through kindness and collaboration,” Ormsby said.
Hastings District Council (HDC) said residential property owners need to arrange to have silt cleared from their properties and from under their homes piled onto the verge outside their home or front garden before it can be picked up and disposed of by contractors free of charge.
HBRC manages sites that take clean silt from rural properties.
People can call 0800 108 838 to advise of an address for rural or residential silt collection.
An HDC statement said crews collecting and disposing of flood-damaged household items after Cyclone Gabrielle were working their way around the district as quickly as possible.
An industrial shredder at Ōmarunui Landfill in action shredding floodwater-damaged household items.
Craig Thew, HDC group manager of asset management, said cleaning up after Cyclone Gabrielle was a huge job with logistical challenges.
“For example, over the last week, Ōmarunui Landfill has received, on average, 400 tonnes a day of flood-damaged waste,” Thew said.
“Traffic congestion across the region and people being unable to return to their properties to clear items out for collection and disposal have been big factors.”
Since the process started, contractors had completed a round of collections in Haumoana, Joll Road, Ōmāhu and Waiohiki.
As of last week, collections continued or started in Whirinaki, Ōmāhu, Fernhill, Pākōwhai, Twyford, Puketapu South, Esk Valley, Tangoio, Hastings, Havelock North (urban) and Puketapu North.
Thew said residents should not worry that their area had been missed, or that they had missed the collection in their area
“The household flood-damaged goods will be collected, and we will give notice prior to this initiative coming to an end. I do encourage residents to jump online and share details about their damaged items as soon as they can.”
