Edgecumbe residents return to flood-stricken homes

3.15pm - By RENEE KIRIONA in Edgecumbe

Evacuated Edgecumbe residents returned to their homes today while police blocked off roads to deter looting.

Blue skies and a beaming sun gave more than 100 people from the small eastern Bay of Plenty town the first opportunity in two days to count the damage inflicted on their homes by the floods.

But as they put on their gumboots and braved freezing cold water, local police and the Army were busy sending out a strong message to those who might have plans to loot flood-stricken and vacant homes.

In the early hours of Sunday morning the floods forced some of the residents to take refuge at the nearby Awakeri Events Centre and Rangitihi Marae in Matata.

A number of roads including, the entry-point to the western side of the town, had been fully blocked and in other areas, access was limited to those who owned or rented the homes.

While no burglaries had been reported in the area, Civil Defence was keen to prevent any repeat of the looting that happened in flood-ravaged Manawatu earlier this year.

"In the Manawatu there was quite a lot of looting and we just want to ensure it doesn't happen here," the defence's spokeswoman Mary Hermanson said.

For Lynne Cooper and her son Daniel (12) the ride from Awakeri to their home in eastern Edgecumbe gave them time to prepare for the worst.

"I couldn't sleep last night thinking about it. All I was worried about was our two cats and the car."

The interior of Mrs Cooper's home, which she brought last year, was not flooded but the car she purchased only weeks ago had been.

"At the moment I'm counting myself lucky. We thought Smokey and Ginger [the cats] would have been swept away but it seems they were inside the house all this time."

Having experienced some of the worst natural disasters that have hit the town in rencet years, Ms Cooper said she almost had a "guts full" of it.

"If I were renting I would've moved out of this town by now. Last year it was the tornadoes and this year it's the floods and earthquakes. I'm getting sick of it."

Delwyn Hastie, her partner John Harper and their three kids had to use an inflatable boat to get to their home.

"If there had been another inch of water our house would have been a mess," she said.

"Our spirits are back in good shape again and the only thing we are worried about now is the possibility of getting burgled while we are away."

The situation was not so good for more than 20 other residents though who were unable to get to their homes because they were under water.

The residents have been told by Civil Defence and the Whakatane District Council not to return to their homes until the waters have subsided, which could mean another two weeks.

For the town's children, flooded streets became a playground as they blew up their inflatable boats and got out their kayaks.

Schools in the area would remain closed until further notice.