Good news darkened by brewing storm clouds

Missing people were rescued in South Taranaki, a state of emergency was lifted in Picton and Prime Minister Helen Clark dropped in on flooded Manawatu today.

But while clean-ups continued in the water-logged lower North Island, more storm clouds gathered on the horizon, ready to hit tomorrow and Saturday.

In South Taranaki, three people missing in the flooded Waitotara Valley were found safe and well.

An elderly man and an 11-year-old boy, missing at an isolated marae in the valley, were tonight flown to safety, along with a missing telecommunications worker.

A mother and her sick baby and two girls and their father were also airlifted out of the cut-off valley today, civil defence controller Graham Young said from his base in Waverley.

A helicopter with two crews tonight completed flights to those 30 families still stranded in the valley and assessed their needs.

Food and supplies would be flown in to some of them tomorrow, Mr Young said.

Another emergency base was set up tonight at the Waitotara Tavern.

Evacuated valley residents aired their concern at a public meeting at Waverley Town Hall tonight.

"They are very frustrated, angry and distraught," Mr Young said.

"They want more warning next time and more communication and we will be working towards that."

At another public meeting, for 200 evacuated residents of Tangimoana in Manawatu, Prime Minister Helen Clark was a surprise visitor.

Miss Clark had flown over Manawatu and Horowhenua in an air force Iroquois helicopter and she described the flood damage as the worst in 100 years.

She told the public meeting at Rongotea that the Government would give $20,000 to mayoral relief funds and Taskforce Green assistance would go immediately to affected areas.

Road funding agency Transfund would pay for road and bridge repairs, Miss Clark said.

Forty-nine houses were still uninhabitable in Tangimoana tonight.

Down the road at tiny Scott's Ferry, near Feilding, some of the 120 residents evacuated on Monday today surveyed the damage to their homes and farms.

The only road into Scott's Ferry has washed away and thousands of dairy cows were left unmilked.

In Picton, a state of emergency declared yesterday after a dam above the Marlborough town caused concern it may collapse, was lifted at 4.15pm today.

Engineers have deemed the concrete dam safe, but Picton Harbour remained discoloured tonight after sewerage and flooding ran through the town and into the sea.

About 45 Picton residents whose homes were polluted by sewerage may be able to return before the weekend.

T he National Emergency Operations Centre in Wellington said tonight it would stay open over the weekend, due to the heavy rain and wind warnings issued today.

"The worst may not be over yet," director of Civil Defence John Norton said in a statement.

Civil Defence said evacuees in Manawatu now numbered 350; Rangitikei 100, with more expected overnight; Horowhenua 70, with more overnight; and South Taranaki 60-70.

In the Hutt Valley, 20 properties were still uninhabitable tonight.

States of emergency remained for the entire Manawatu-Wanganui region and the South Taranaki district.

The Manawatu Gorge, linking Palmerston North with southern Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, remained closed due to slips, while 19 bridges have been damaged in flood-affected areas of the North Island.

Tankered water was tonight arriving at Ratana Pa, 19km southeast of Wanganui, after power outages affected water treatment.

Two main trunk fibre cables - between Palmerston North and Rongotea, and from Rongotea to Levin - were damaged and causing telecommunications failures tonight, Civil Defence said.

The main trunk railway line between Palmerston North and Auckland was due to open by Friday afternoon.

- NZPA