The Gisborne district is this morning all but cut off, with main roads in and out of the region again under water and widespread power outages.
Cyclone Gabrielle has unleashed a fresh battery of wild weather just weeks after Cyclone Hale caused an already sodden Tairāwhiti to flood, with fresh road washouts and properties inundated by storm debris once more.
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told NZME this morning the region was isolated, had no internet and had critical water issues. She urged the community to preserve water.
“The water pipes have broken coming from our treatment centre plant so we are asking our community to please conserve our water, preserve our water.
“We have no internet. The cables have severed. We can’t take 111 calls, there is no phone coverage,” Stoltz said.
At this stage, all supermarkets in Tairāwhiti were closed due to the unavailability of Eftpos service and loss of internet, She said.
“We are totally cut off. All our roads are closed in and out of the region.”
Paroa Rd in Tolaga Bay, covered in silt and slash on the morning of Friday 14 February 2023. Photo / Uawa Live
People had evacuated to centres and one of the centres had already reached capacity, Stoltz said.
“But we are asking our community if you feel unsafe and if you need support please go to our centres. One of them is Ilminister School, Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae and several other Marae on the coast.”
Stoltz said they were unable to get information on people being evacuated or rescued at the moment.
“We know our teams are out and about looking at the bridges. At 11am we will be shutting both bridges in town for at least three to four hours.
“We need to clean the woody debris under the bridges. We are also letting our community know to stay home, please. We need our roads to be clear for our services to go out and about.”
The Hikuwai River at Tolaga Bay with photos taken at 6:54am and 2:36pm yesterday. Photos / Supplied / Gisborne District Council
A lot of woody debris (slash) and other natural materials that come down rivers were blocking some bridges, Stoltz said, these needed to be cleared because underneath it were the region’s water pipes, fibre and sewage pipes.
She said the woody debris under the bridge was very concerning.
“Chorus is still investigating to find out where the breaks are. We have been without internet since 2.15am.
“Cables are severed so that is a major concern to us because people cannot use Eftpos to pay for fuel and food.”
There would be a media stand up at 11.30 to inform the community of updates, Stoltz said.
Woody debris at Mangahauini Bridge, Tokomaru Bay. Photo / Lillian Te Hau-Ward
Power company Eastland Network said trees had come down on lines across parts of Tairāwhiti, Gisborne city, Mahia and Wairoa - cutting electricity overnight.
Meanwhile, the Hikuwai River was at an unprecedented 14.8 metres around midnight. The river peaked 13 metres during Cyclone Bola. Residents in low-lying areas were urged to evacuate by regional civil defence teams.
Te Akau o Tokomaru Civil Defence coordinator Lilian Te Hau-Ward said 26 families had evacuated to higher ground last night, and whānau were now returning to their homes to assess the damage.
”They will return to evacuation homes and marae by 5pm. We are isolated, State Highway 35 is closed on both sides of us. And rain is still falling.”
Puketawai Marae at Tolaga Bay underwater. Photo / Uawa Live
A lot of forestry debris (slash) had come down in Mangahauini River, Te Hau-Ward said, and they were worried about the bridge.
Roading contractors would be assessing roads and bridges around the area today, she said.
Waimata Valley Rd in Gisborne had washed out after the culvert got blocked by logs causing the river to go over the road.
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said as the Waiapaoa River at Kanakanaia crossed 8.2 metres (flood warning level) residents in the Ormond township near the Mahunga Stream or the dip needed to evacuate to higher ground.
Uawa River had breached its bank on State Highway 35 north of Tolaga Bay by the maize paddocks. People living in the low-lying areas were asked to evacuate by civil defence teams.
The main routes to the region, SH2 Gisborne to Opōtiki and SH35 from Okitu to Opōtiki, remain closed.
Shelters had been stood up right across the region.
A family of eight with children were stuck in a vehicle after being forced to evacuate to higher ground when Arero Rd bridge was inundated with floodwaters on the East Coast.
An Uawa Tolaga Bay Civil Defence spokesperson told the Herald yesterday that the family, with infant children, were in contact with authorities after attempting to drive across the Arero Rd bridge over the Hikuwai River.
There was no immediate threat to their safety while they were on the hill, the spokesperson said, and Civil Defence authorities had been in contact with them every hour.
When asked if the bridge was gone, the spokesperson said it remained unclear but it was no longer visible beneath the flooded river.
Nine North Island regions have now declared states of emergency, with fears that a storm surge last night - including in Auckland - might have led to more flooding and slips, driven by relentless rain and wind whipped up by Cyclone Gabrielle.
