Over 200 houses uninhabitable as a result of floods

4.00pm

More than 200 homes in the eastern Bay of Plenty have been declared uninhabitable as a result of flooding and earthquakes which hit the area last month.

Recovery Facilitator Peter Davies said today inspectors had assessed 374 homes in the Opotiki and Whakatane districts for flood and landslip damage.

Of these, 211 homes had been declared uninhabitable or unable to be reoccupied until repairs were carried out.

A spokeswoman said 201 of those were in Whakatane District, and more than half - 106 - were uninsured. None of the Whakatane houses were condemned.

Of the 10 houses unable to be occupied in Opotiki District, three had been condemned. It was not known how many were uninsured, she said.

Mr Davies said several other homes may have also sustained some flood damage. It was vital that owners of damaged houses notified the office so it could put together a full picture of the total damage that had occurred, he said.

"Having accurate information not only helps us to assess what needs to be done to get things back to normal but also will be of great value in assisting the recovery of any future event of this kind in New Zealand," Mr Davies said in a statement.

Meanwhile the recovery centre, which Mr Davies heads, is warning residents of the area to take steps to reduce their stress levels.

Staff said today that stress and fatigue were a common effect of recovering from a natural disaster and people needed to ensure they slept, ate, exercised and rested sufficiently to minimise the negative effects of stress.

The stress could also badly effect children, centre staff said in a statement. Parents should reassure children and encourage normal activities such as social contact with their friends.

- NZPA