Flooding in Nūhaka in northern Hawke's Bay after heavy rainfall hit the region. Video / Martenga Hapi
A small township in northern Hawke’s Bay is reeling from a second major flood in the space of a year, which residents say is worse than Cyclone Gabrielle.
Heavy rain drenched areas of Wairoa, Māhia and Nūhaka on Tuesday night and early Wednesday, following previous warnings from MetService earlier in the week.
Slips closed roads and highways, and many schools across the district were closed for the day.
The small township of Nūhaka saw some of the most significant flooding.
Wairoa Civil Defence controller Juanita Savage said 10 people were evacuated from flooded homes and vehicles in that community.
An evacuation centre had to be set up in Nūhaka, while another evacuation centre was set up in Wairoa but was not required.
State Highway 2 was temporarily closed due to flooding and slips but was re-opened at 10am on Wednesday. Two drivers were also assisted after getting their vehicles caught in floodwaters on the highway.
A Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency spokesperson said it would close again on Wednesday night for a brief period to clear vegetation near Tangoio.
State Highway 38 from Wairoa to Waikaremoana was also closed but re-opened late on Wednesday morning.
The Nūhaka township is located next to Nūhaka River, and the flooding impacted a handful of homes, Nūhaka School and the nearby marae.
Flooding in Nūhaka on Wednesday morning. Photo / Martenga Hapi
Nūhaka resident Carol Hapi, who is a trustee of the marae, said she had lived in the community for over 40 years.
“I’ve never seen water like this before, and twice in one year is unbelievable.”
She said the flooding appeared to be worse this time around than during Cyclone Gabrielle in February, and had caused more damage to the marae.
Hapi said while her home was not flooded, the area around the marae and school was badly flooded.
She said more needed to be done around drainage as the water was still pooled hours after the flood, and it raised a question as to how to make the marae, a big part of the community, more resilient to flooding in the future.
Flooding in Nūhaka on Wednesday morning. Photo / Martenga Hapi
She said her friend’s home had been flooded twice this year alone.
Trevor Steed, who owns Steed’s Convenience Store in Nūhaka, also said the flooding appeared to be worse than during Cyclone Gabrielle, and the rain was heaviest around 3am.
“It was just constant. It wasn’t spooky like Gabrielle, which had you wondering how well your roof was nailed on, but this was heavy, and you thought, ‘Oh hell, this could cause a problem’.”
He and other community members estimated about 10 or 12 homes had been flooded, either in their garages or main living areas.
Nūhaka School was also badly flooded again.
Flooding in Nūhaka on Wednesday morning. Photo / Martenga Hapi
“The [school] field is just a little lake. It is hard to actually believe, really.”
He said the school grounds had not re-opened after Cyclone Gabrielle flooded them in February, and the children had been meeting in a local church in the meantime.
He said fortunately, it was his understanding there were no life-threatening incidents in the community during the latest floods.
He said the rain subsided around 6am on Wednesday, but the flooding was not draining from around the school and marae.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the flooding situation was being monitored, and council staff were out and about checking on conditions.
He said there had been a “hell of a lot of rain” in the area, but rivers hadn’t breached as it was low tide.
He said he thought there was enough warning, and that people were evacuated in a timely manner, but that there was definitely “rain anxiety” every time something like this happened after Cyclone Gabrielle.
“Our district is still recovering from the February cyclone, and this amount of rain in a short timeframe can be a scary time for people. We have had reports of areas of the district receiving rainfall of between 150 and 200 millimetres overnight.
“If you can, please stay home, stay off the roads and stay safe. If you have to travel, please check journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic and the Wairoa District Council website. If you are feeling unsafe, please call 111 immediately.”
At Pukeorapa, which is inland from Nūhaka and has among the highest annual rainfall levels in the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council network, rainfall by late morning had exceeded 80mm since midnight, and 180mm in three days.
Several local roads were also closed on Wednesday around the Wairoa district, including Mangapoike Rd, Māhia East Coast Rd, Glenbrook Rd, Waihua Valley Rd, Tiniroto Rd, Kinikini Rd and Mahanga Rd.
Little said the community was one he knew would band together and help each other out.
His son had visited Frasertown and said the feeling was that it was very irritating for people who had been through it before.
“How much do you take?”
Little’s message for the community was one of solidarity: “Be strong. We’re a great community, and those who haven’t been affected, if you could help others who have, that would be a really big help.”
