Gisborne rain eases, warnings lifted

Photo / Dexter Waru

Swamped East Coast residents are on tenterhooks as heavy rain warnings have been replaced by a severe thunderstorm watch today.

About 250mm of rain fell north and inland of Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay in the past 30 hours, while areas close to Gisborne had more than 200mm. Up to 300mm fell in some areas west of the city.

MetService reported that the widespread heavy rain in the region had eased, though slow moving thunderstorms were forecast for inland Gisborne until this evening and there would be some localised heavy downpours.

Rainfall of this intensity could cause flash flooding around streams and rivers and could cause more slips, MetService forecaster Paul Mallinson said.

Gisborne Civil Defence emergency management officer Richard Steele said everyone was on tenterhooks and hoping the forecast thunderstorms would not come through this afternoon.

"We don't want any more rain, it may bring down more slips and close more roads. It will be more of a nuisance and we don't want anymore nuisances," Mr Steele said.

Heavy downpours yesterday prompted the evacuation of a handful of households, forced the closure of rural schools and left dozens of homes without power. All major roads had reopened today after surface flooding and slips closed many highways and blocked Gisborne from Napier for a short time.

Some small rural roads remain closed.

Mr Steele said there was a great deal of damage done to newly planted crops at Poverty Bay Flats, just south of Gisborne.

Extensive flooding on the Gisborne Flats was in some places up to 1m deep.

"It's not clear how much damage has been done but it will be a big figure as all of it is lost. We will need to work on reinstating and replanting crops."

- NZPA