Rotorua floods: 100 building inspections, 200 insurance claims

Nearly 40 homes are uninhabitable following flooding in Rotorua.

Rotorua Lakes Council's Civil Defence team has been conducting building inspections and welfare visits at affected properties and still painting a picture about what's happened.

Acting Civil Defence controller Stavros Michael said that while the council had a good understanding of how many people were affected there were still others who may not have contacted the council or been identified.

He urged those who had been affected to call 0800 020 001.

"Building inspectors continue to work over the weekend. They have inspected a number of properties, focusing on ensuring properties are in a sanitary condition for people to be able to return to their homes," he said.

#watch the latest update from the council on the flooding response with mayor Steve Chadwick, civil defence controller Stavros Michael.

Posted by Rotorua Daily Post on Friday, 4 May 2018

"The storm also caused significant damage to our infrastructure - our engineering staff and partners are working hard to identify the scale of the damage, draft a programme for rehabilitation, and identify the priorities for repairs."

Michael said the council had initially identified 85 affected properties in Ngongotaha.

"Over the last few days our building inspectors have visited about 100 homes and 35 have been issued with sanitary notices which means some significant work will happen before people are able to go back," he said.

"By the end of tomorrow we will have visited the vast majority of properties impacted."

Building inspectors are focusing on areas in town including Glenholme, Tarewa Rd and Bell Rd today and plan to move onto rural areas including Reporoa and Rerewhakaaitu.

The state of emergency declared in Ngongotaha last Sunday will lapse tomorrow unless it is renewed.

Michael said it was likely they would allow it to lapse but would make that decision tomorrow.

"We'll be turning our minds as to what options we have going forward.

"Although we'll be transitioning from response to recovery our primary objective will be the welfare of the community."

He said the storm had also significantly damaged infrastructure.

"Our engineering staff and partners are working hard to identify the scale of the damage, draft a programme for rehabilitation, and identify the priorities for repairs."

The council is also asking people to keep private property secure or away from the street.

Michael said rural properties on bore water were also an issue.

If your drinking water supply is from a bore and there was floodwater around it the water may be contaminated.

The council is offering free tests to determine whether water is affected.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said health was also an issue.

"If you know of family members or friends ... are they sleeping and are they agitated, how are the children coping? We just need to know those practical things so we can get the right help," she said.

"It's a very resilient community and I've also found it's an incredibly caring community with lots of people offering help. I think a lot of people out there who have been affected don't know what help is out there and don't know how to ask for help."

Where to get help:
- Fill in a registration form at the council or at the hub at Ngongotaha.
- Call 0800 020 001 to arrange for someone from the welfare team to visit you to complete a registration form.
- For support or advice you can phone Healthline on 0800 611 116.