Weather woes revisited as CHB cleans up yet again

Damage to Mangaorapa Rd last week brought it down to one lane.

Ex-cyclone Hale added insult to injury in Central Hawke’s Bay last week, with heavy rain bringing rivers to their banks and causing slips, flooding and road closures in a district in still in recovery from September’s deluge.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s rainfall monitoring figures have revealed this has been the wettest last six months since records began.

Regional council team leader air, marine and land science Dr Kathleen Kozyniak says, “December was our fifth consecutive month of above normal rainfall for the region and totals are already above normal for January, making it the sixth consecutive month.”

Floodwaters left silt through the Ōmakere Hall - quickly dealt with by a community working bee.

Last week’s event closed more than 20 roads across the Central Hawke’s Bay district due to slips, washouts and slumps as CHB District Council contractors scrambled to assess and repair damage and establish detours.

By Friday nine roads remained closed, with just one - Tipenes Access Rd - still closed this week but weight and speed restrictions on Te Awa and Motere roads and caution advised on eight further rural roads due mainly to slips and washouts bringing roads down to one lane.

The Tukituki Trails disappeared under water for the second time in six months.

Council is warning motorists that there may be a substantial increase in potholes across the network after the rain and all rural roads should be driven with caution.

The rain caused the cancellation of the annual Elsthorpe Sports last weekend, after organisers assessed the ground conditions and deemed them unsuitable for the usually well-supported horse sports.

Cycling CHB however vowed to go ahead with their Cycling CHB MTB Challenge this Sunday, albeit with changes to the long course after large sections of the Tukituki Trails were found to be underwater.