Rivers across the Horizons Regional Council area are rising after overnight rainfall from Cyclone Gabrielle but strong wind warnings for the region have been lifted.
Hunterville and Mangaweka residents are being asked to conserve water. Rangitīkei District Council said on Tuesday afternoon the water treatment plant was under significant pressure due to the increased volume of water.
“We are urgently asking all residents of Hunterville and Mangaweka to conserve their water use to help maintain the required quality of water at the Hunterville treatment plant.”
Horizons said there were high flows on Tuesday morning in the Rangitīkei, Ōroua, Pohangina and Manawatū rivers. At 10.52am MetService said strong wind warnings for Whanganui, Manawatū, Taumarunui, and Taihape had been lifted as gales had eased.
Horizons Regional Council incident controller Craig Grant said duty officers monitored the situation through the night, with actual rainfall providing a clearer picture of what to expect on Tuesday.
“The upper Rangitīkei has received a decent amount of rainfall and we are modelling about an 8-metre peak at Mangaweka at midday today [Tuesday]. This is a decent level for the Rangitīkei, but beyond a bit of overspill in the upper reaches we expect it to remain in its channel.
“We will be monitoring Tangimoana as the high river flows means drains in the village won’t be able to clear as quickly. However, the majority of localised rainfall is due to fall before the peak passes through and a contractor is on standby to open the stopbank to help clear surface water if required.
“The Ōroua River is modelled to peak at around 4 metres at Almadale (near Cheltenham) mid-to-late morning. Again, we expect this to remain in its channel although there is a gap in stopbanks near Te Arakura Rd downstream of Feilding, so we will be on site to keep an eye on water levels.”
The Ruapehu, Whanganui and Horowhenua catchments were coping, Grant said.
In an update at 1pm Tuesday, Grant said the Rangitīkei River was still modelled to peak at about 8 metres at Mangaweka, with floodwater coming down the river to peak at 6 metres at Bulls at 3.30pm and about 7pm at Tangimoana.
“While we are not anticipating any stopbank breach at Tangimoana, Manawatū District Council has advised residents there to be prepared to evacuate just in case.
“We also reached out to key community contacts in Pohangina and Rangitīkei last night to inform rural property owners of the need to move stock from low-lying land alongside the rivers.”
Whanganui has experienced rain and some wind as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle but no major issues have been reported. Photo / Bevan Conley
Horizons was keeping in close contact with its city and district councils.
Grant said there had been power outages overnight due to the gale force winds the majority of the region experienced.
“We urge people to take care when driving and to watch out for fallen trees or debris.”
Up-to-date information on river heights and rainfall is available via Horizons’ 24-hour toll-free Waterline 0508 4 FLOOD or website www.horizons.govt.nz.
For sandbag queries contact your local city or district council and stay tuned to your local radio stations for another option for civil defence updates.
Ruapehu Civil Defence said no significant issues had been reported from around the district overnight.
Emergency management officer Andy Chambers said there were reports of downed trees and a power outage in Owhango on Tuesday morning.
Ruapehu emergency management officer Andrew Chambers monitoring the path and impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Supplied
People are urged to stay well clear of any downed powerlines and treat them as if they are live.
River levels are still low through the region and the risk of flooding is very unlikely.
Civil Defence is keeping its incident control point (ICP) at the CDEM Base Taumarunui open to monitor the situation and respond to any community needs.
Whanganui District Council emergency manager Tim Crowe is advising residents to stay home where possible and only drive where necessary.
Rural roads such as the Parapara (SH4) and Whanganui River Road should only be used when essential, due to risks of slips and tree fall as a result of the current weather.
While Whanganui was predicted to escape the worst of the rain and wind, there were likely to be strong southerlies reaching 80km/h with continued sporadic rain up to Wednesday, Crowe said.
“Other than a tree blocking a road in Ranana, no other storm events have been reported. However, powercuts may occur, so please review your family preparedness plans.”
Crowe said people should avoid beaches, particularly the North Mole, due to rough coastlines.
The Whanganui district civil defence emergency management team was likely to move to support other districts in the Horizons region, including Tararua and Rangītikei districts, which were being heavily affected by the cyclone.
Trees were toppled by high winds at the Three Sisters rest stop on SH1 near Waiouru. Photo / Supplied
State Highway 1 Desert Road between Rangipo and Waiouru is closed because of fallen trees.
Trees also fell on trucks which were sheltering in the Three Sisters rest area.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says northbound motorists can detour via SH49, SH4, SH47 and on to SH1, and reverse for southbound traffic. The detour adds up to 40 minutes to travel times.
SH46 Rangipo to Papakai has also been closed due to fallen trees. Detour via SH41/SH47.
Waka Kotahi says it is aware of several slips on SH4 Parapara and has contractors attending to investigate.
“Driving in extreme weather conditions is not recommended. We urge everyone to please stay at home until Cyclone Gabrielle has passed.”
Councils and emergency management teams in the wider Whanganui region have been monitoring the situation overnight and are on standby for any emergency situations.
Powerco said its field crews were continuing work to reconnect customers affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.
At 11.30am Tuesday, 29,991 customers were without power across the Powerco network, including 380 in Whanganui and 619 in Manawatū.
Powerco head of network operations Caz Haydon said reconnecting customers continued to be the priority, but the ongoing stormy weather was still posing challenges.
“We have every crew working to restore power, but flooding, slips and road closures, as well as the ongoing high winds and heavy rain, continues to hamper efforts to access fault sites and carry out repairs. Until conditions settle and roads are cleared, our crews are unable to restore power for some of these outages.
“We know this is difficult for our customers to hear – particularly those who have been without power for some time – but the safety of our crews and customers is paramount.”
Customers wanting information about power cuts can go to Powerco’s power outage webpage www.powerco.co.nz/outages or can contact their electricity retailer.
