Esk Valley shows the scars of Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo Paul Taylor
Esk Valley shows the scars of Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo Paul Taylor
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence say after a “full assessment” on Saturday morning it would advise later today if it is safe to lift cordons for Esk Valley.
“Until the evacuation order has been lifted, please don’t attempt to re-enter. Police are supporting staff at the cordons,” a statement read.
“We’ve had rain on the ranges overnight, with lesser amounts being recorded on the Heretaunga Plains. The amounts recorded are lower than what was originally forecasted.”
MetService New Zealand is forecasting additional rainfall this morning, continuing into the early afternoon, as well as the possibility of thunderstorms bringing localised heavy downpours which can cause surface flooding and slips.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council hydrologists are continuing to monitor rainfall and the recorded and modelled river levels, and will provide guidance on what this may mean for communities.
The Esk River rose around 1.5 m from where it was at 8pm. last night, and their advice is that this should start to recede soon.
Esk Valley residents were evacuated as a preemptive measure on Friday due to heavy rain forecast over Napier.
No issues have been reported on other rivers in the Hawke’s Bay region as a result of the overnight rain, with regional council hydrologists continuing to monitor them closely.
A heavy rain warning is currently in place in Hawke’s Bay until Saturday 10am, and thunderstorms are forecast throughout Saturday morning in the region, according to MetService.
The evacuation, which came at from 1.30pm on Friday, was ordered 10 days after Cyclone Gabrielle tore through the valley north of Napier last week.
Many families have been back cleaning up their properties in the valley over the past week while coming to terms with the damage.
Workers on SH5 in Eskdale on Friday morning, ahead of the evacuations. Photo / Paul Taylor
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Group controller Ian Macdonald told journalists in Hastings on Friday that an emergency mobile alert was sent to Esk Valley for everyone to evacuate as heavy rain was expected to batter the region.
He acknowledged it was a preemptive and conservative approach. ”I do not want to be rescuing people off the top of roofs at short notice and I think this is the best thing to do for their safety and our first responders.”
Macdonald pushed back against a question that the evacuation order for Esk Valley during Cyclone Gabrielle came too late for residents, some of whom did not get notice until 5am as floodwaters swept through the area.
”That was a completely different event,” he said. “That was very short notice, the amount of rain that we got was well above what was originally forecast ... we’ve got some warning, we’ve known about this for the last day-and-a-half.”
He said authorities didn’t have the same warning about the severity of Cyclone Gabrielle before it ravaged Esk Valley and other parts of Hawke’s Bay.
Emergency services and the NZDF are this afternoon sweeping through Esk Valley to ensure everyone is safe, including contractors working to clear roads, Macdonald said. ”We actually don’t know a lot about the [Esk] river at the moment because of all of the silt. So the behaviour of the river to even this sort of rain is why we are taking a conservative approach to this.”
He said he hoped people would be able to return to Esk Valley on Saturday, dependent on the weather conditions. He said Civil Defence will also be keeping a “close eye” on those areas where stopbanks have been compromised.
Frances Oliver, a clinical psychologist at Te Whatu Ora in Hawke’s Bay, said people would be feeling “particularly anxious” as the rain arrived this afternoon. “We are hearing from our communities that our children and young people are particularly affected at this time.” This will remind them of the events of last week. ”Oliver said self-care “might seem trivial” at a time like this but it was important for people to not ignore rest and eating well.
She added the recovery effort is going to take time and it is important “to pace ourselves” and not feel guilty about taking a break to avoid exhaustion and burnout.
Civil Defence Centres will be open for those who need somewhere to stay and other support including at Flaxmere Community Centre, Waipawa Municipal Theatre and Pōrangahau Rugby Club which are all open now.
The Centennial Hall in Napier will be open from 4pm today.
These centres are in safe locations outside the evacuation zones.
People with pets should take them when they depart.
There is a temporary animal shelter at 300 Prospect Rd in Hastings, that has been set up by Ministry for Primary Industries and animal charities HUHANZ and SPCA Hawke’s Bay.
Owners are unable to stay with their animals but can visit.
Move large animals such as horses, sheep and cattle to high ground if there is access.
Getting in touch with those remaining 13 remains a priority for Police and we are working as fast as we can, using a number of different methods.
In a statement released Saturday morning Eastern Police said as of 7pm on Saturday, officers had conducted 523 prevention activities, including reassurance patrols and proactive engagements with storm-hit communities.
Police had also received 451 calls for service, including five reports of burglaries, three unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and 29 family harm incidents.
A spokesperson said 24 people had been arrested for a variety of offences – 15 in Hawke’s Bay and 9 in Tairawhiti, for offences including trespass, theft, burglary, car theft, intimidation and threats
Staff also assisted with the evacuation of residents of Esk Valley on Friday afternoon and early evening, due to the potential for the river to rise following heavy rain.
Cordons are in place to keep Esk Valley safe.
State Highway 50 reopened on Friday afternoon, restoring another key connection for Hawke’s Bay communities following the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle last week.
State Highway 51, which had be open to emergency services and critical workers only, has also reopened to the public, with Waitangi Bridge still down to a single lane wtih a temporary speed limit in place. Significant delays are expected on this route.
