River delivers a flood reprieve

By ELIZABETH BINNING

Waikato roads and farms were saved from flooding yesterday when the level of the swollen Waikato River fell more quickly than expected.

Environment Waikato issued warnings late on Monday night about the potential for flooding.

Authorities were preparing to close State Highway 1 if the river crossed a spillway at Rangiriri.

But flood duty manager Jim Price said the river receded more quickly than expected and did not reach the 8.8m level at which it would have gone over the spillway.

Mr Price said the river reached its peak late yesterday afternoon and was expected to stay at that level for several days.

There was little chance of flooding, providing no significant amount of rain fell within the next 72 hours.

In Otorohanga, mopping up continued yesterday after heavy flooding on Sunday.

The King Country town was hit by heavy rain which damaged at least 30 roads and half a dozen homes.

The local primary school was also flooded and 100 students stayed at home while staff assessed the damage.

Principal Peter Telfer said the students were expected back at school today, but they would not be staying there for long.

They would be taken to nearby Tihiroa Primary, which closed last year, and taught there until Otorohanga Primary could be repaired.

Board of trustees chairman Ross Loomans said the school would probably not reopen until next term.

Floodwaters had reached waist height in some classrooms, silt lined the walls and floors, and the asphalt in the playground had lifted.

"The whole school's been flooded out," Mr Loomans said.

Otorohanga District Council engineering manager Ian Gooden said the flooding came as a surprise to the small town, which installed stopbanks after flooding in 1958 caused widespread devastation.

All the six homes that were evacuated were in low-lying areas and not protected by the stopbanks. One house was seriously damaged. Several farms also flooded.

The families are now in temporary accommodation and their belongings are in storage.

Mr Gooden said most of the damaged roads had been reopened.

The exception was Waitomo Valley Rd where an entire hillside collapsed.