FORCED TO MOVE: Michael Finlayson had to abandon his home in Bell Rd, Tauranga. PHOTO / JOHN BORREN
FORCED TO MOVE: Michael Finlayson had to abandon his home in Bell Rd, Tauranga. PHOTO / JOHN BORREN
Storm victims are bracing for a second onslaught of heavy rain as Cyclone Cook threatens a wet start to the long Easter weekend.
Metservice today issued a severe weather warning for the Western Bay of Plenty, which is predicted to receive the nastiest lashing of any New Zealand region in the cyclone's path.
A spokesman said the cyclone would hit land somewhere between the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel late Thursday, dumping up to 250mm of water in an area between the bay and Taupo.
"People should be aware that this is a very significant event and is likely to produce widespread flooding, slips and wind damage - including to powerlines - and may even lift roofs," the spokesman said.
"Driving conditions are likely to be hazardous, so people will need to take extra care on the roads, and even consider altering their Easter travel plans."
The warning comes as hundreds of Bay residents continue to grapple with the aftermath of last week's heavy rain, which caused landslides in Omokoroa and flooding in Western Bay towns including Edgecumbe.
In Papamoa's Bell Rd, which was also flooded last week, some residents were today anxious about the approaching storm.
Most of the flooding had subsided from the western end of the road before today's rain struck, but the eastern end was still largely under water.
At the flooded end, farmer Carol Hatton's home was still surrounded by a lake of water this morning as she watched the rain move in.
"It hasn't seeped away and another big downpour is going to make it worse," she said.
"What's going to happen now? "
Mrs Hatton said the flooding had shortened their milking season by about a month. Three hundred cows had been moved off the property.
"We've got food in the cupboard and we'll just have to wait," she said.
Just a few doors away, farm worker Michael Finlayson was settling in to a temporary home after floodwaters forced him to abandon a house on a neighbouring property last week.
Mike Finlayson abandons his home
"It was just a disaster - I didn't think it was going to be so bad," he said. "If this house wasn't here we'd have been absolutely buggered."
Mr Finlayson's new farmhouse was on a higher patch of land, and he did not expect to be flooded by the approaching cyclone.
Severe weather warning Heavy rain - 150mm to 250mm on Wed/Thurs Severe gales - up to 150km/h Waves of up to 5m Bad weather from today until early Friday Worst weather Thursday
