Cleanup starts, but rain still threatens some areas

8.20am

UPDATE - Residents and local officials in the lower North Island are waiting anxiously for flood waters to recede today so they can assess the damage caused by one of the worst summer storms in recent memory.

But in some storm-battered areas that may take some time -- as rain continues to fall, swelling rivers and threatening homes.

Across the North Island today thousands of homes were still without power as lines company Powerco struggled to fix problems in Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa.

About 15,000 homes were without power last night and although many homes had had power restored Powerco said it was being hampered by difficult access caused by the flooding.

In Manawatu and Rangitikei, where civil defence emergencies were declared yesterday as a result of heavy rain, well over 100 people spent the night out of their homes.

In all, about 780 people evacuated their homes in the two districts, where rivers burst their banks sweeping away one home and threatening three others.

The towns of Marton, Feilding and Tangimoana were worst affected yesterday.

Flood waters were beginning to recede today, but other problems were emerging including loss of phone lines and safe drinking water.

Civil defence coordinators were today calling in water tankers to help alleviate the problem.

Access by road was still impossible in many areas due to remaining high waters and washed out bridges and all schools in Bulls, Marton, Hunterville and surrounding rural areas remained closed today, National Radio reported.

The Manawatu River breached its banks just south of Foxton, 39km southwest of Palmerston North, overnight -- inundating farmland and forcing about 50 people to evacuate their homes.

Horowhenua District Council spokesman Tony Thomas told National Radio river levels appeared to be stabilising this morning, despite further rain. It was now a matter of waiting and watching to see if the situation was going to worsen, he said.

The areas most at risk of further flooding were Foxton Beach and parts of Foxton township near the Manawatu River.

Police were today advising anyone in the affected area trapped by the flood waters to place a white sheet on top of their house which could be seen by helicopter.

Police said the measure was necessary because phone contact across much of Manawatu and Horowhenua had been knocked out by the storm.

Manawatu District Council civil defence controller Richard Kirby said flood waters in Feilding were beginning to recede although there were three houses that were still under threat from the Oroua and Kiwitea Rivers.

"There are three houses where the water is right up under their foundations and they could still fall and disappear," he told National Radio.

One house was washed away last night.

Mr Kirby said one of the major problems now faced by those dealing with the emergency was a lack of drinking water. However bottled water and water tankers were being brought in today to alleviate the problem.

It could take some time to rectify the problem as the rivers from which the water was drawn were still "raging torrents" and it was impossible to get to damaged pipelines.

Roads were still closed across much of the Lower North Island including State Highway 1 between Taihape and Waiouru.

In the Wellington region most roads had been reopened, but Transit New Zealand was warning motorists to watch out for any debris.

Newstalk ZB reports that rail lines have been washed out near Bunnythorpe and Dannevirke. Passenger service between Auckland and Wellington has been cancelled.

The storm has so far claimed two lives -- a 35-year-old man who went fishing on Wellington Harbour on Saturday night and never returned and a man who disappeared after the boat he was on, the Rita sank in the Marlborough Sounds on Sunday.

Police recovered the body of the 35-year-old yesterday.

In addition to the deaths an Auckland woman was seriously injured on Sunday when a tree crashed through the roof of her North Shore home pinning her to her bed.

The storm left thousands of travellers stranded as ferry sailings were cancelled and plane flights delayed.

Most sea and air services had resumed by late yesterday.


- NZPA and HERALD STAFF

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