Cyclone Gabrielle: Fire and Emergency briefing at 7.30am; Auckland Emergency Management from 8am
Hauraki mayor Toby Adams has declared a state of emergency in the Hauraki District.
“We have an unfolding situation with our close neighbours, Thames-Coromandel District being devastatingly affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle, our connecting roads being prepared to close, and evacuations likely in some places, we will need the additional resources that we can access under a Declaration of a State of Emergency,” Adams said.
“The main areas of concern are our coastal and low-lying areas. By declaring a state of emergency we are empowering our emergency support services and our staff to be able to manage any situation that develops in a way that keeps people safe and protects property and out of harm’s way.”
The situation is “weather dependent and will depend to some degree on how much of the predicted rainfall we actually get”.
“The district is already saturated and the rainfall being predicted will likely isolate our communities and cut off access to the Coromandel through Waihi.”
Hauraki District Mayor Toby Adams. Photo / Supplied
“Please avoid all travel, stay safe and have an evacuation plan ready.”
The mayor declared the state of emergency at 3.39pm on Monday.
A state of emergency can be declared when there is an event that might cause loss of life or property, which cannot be dealt with by emergency services in the normal fashion, the council said.
The Paeroa War Memorial Hall is now open as an evacuation centre. Please bring essentials with you. You can bring cats and dogs with you in a cage or controlled on a leash. Police may knock at your door to ask you to evacuate. Otherwise, please evaluate your situation and self-evacuate if you need to.
UPDATE: 1.02am, Tuesday, February 14
We’ve been advised of a couple more evacuation sites in Paeroa and Waikino. Thanks for opening your doors:
Te Pai o Hauraki Marae, 3 Papaturoa Avenue, Paeroa - Community led OPEN
Waikino School, 13 Abbott Road, Waikino - Community led OPEN
UPDATE: 11.11pm, Monday, February 13
Mayor Toby’s advice on evacuation sites around the district for when they are needed. Most are not open yet.
Call 111 if you or someone you know is in danger due to rising flood waters.
Prepare to Evacuate
- Decide where you will go. Your evacuation place will probably be with friends or family, so make sure they know your plans.
- Pack a grab bag - tt should have warm clothes, a bottle of water, snacks, copies of important documents, and photo ID. Remember any medications you may need. Keep your first aid kit, torch, radio and batteries somewhere you can grab them in a hurry.
- Don’t forget your pets - Make sure your evacuation place will take your pets. Or have contact details for kennels, catteries and pet friendly motels.
Evacuate
- If you are told to evacuate, follow the evacuation advice. Move immediately.
Hauraki Evacuation Centres – to be confirmed (flooding dependent)
UPDATE: 7.43AM 14 Feb 2023 - Ford Rd in Waihi closed due to flooding.
UPDATE: 7.02AM 14 Feb 2023 - the one lane bridge on Waitawheta Road by Owharoa Falls is currently impassable due to flooding.
UPDATE: 1.03AM 14 Feb 2023 - SH26 closed at the Criterion Bridge in Paeroa. Waikato Regional Council are currently preparing to close the flood gates on SH26 by the Criterion Bridge in Paeroa. They are setting up a detour now.
UPDATE: 12.06am 14 Feb 2023 - Miranda Road is closed at the Miranda and East Coast Road intersection due to flooding.
UPDATE: 10pm 13 Feb 2023 - Karangahake Gorge closed.
Residents in Waihi Beach, Athenree, Maketu and Pukehina were warned to stay on high alert overnight with Bay of Plenty Civil Defence concerned about coastal inundation - or flooding from the sea - for people living on the coast.
It reminded residents to stay on high alert after warnings were sent earlier saying they may be forced to evacuate.
A mandatory evacuation order was made to around 100 homes in the Whakatāne area around 3pm Monday after acting mayor Lesley Immink announced a state of emergency.
They were all homes in West End Ōhope, up to and including the Beach Point Apartment complex, and about nine homes identified on Harbour Rd, Port Ōhope that were particularly low-lying.
More than 350 properties needed to evacuate in Ōpōtiki due to concerns about coastal surges and inundation.
State of Emergency
Bay of Plenty Civil Defence declared a regional state of emergency around 8pm on Monday after the region was hammered by severe weather.
Cyclone Gabrielle caused floods, power outages, schools to close and coastal communities to evacuate throughout the Bay of Plenty.
While conditions were expected to improve today, the worst of the weather was forecast overnight with 70 to 100mm of rain expected to fall between 9pm yesterday and 6am.
Along with Civil Defence, Whakatāne District Council, Ōpōtiki District Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council declared a state of emergency yesterday.
Coromandel hit hard
Beachfront properties in Coromandel towns were swamped by surging seas yesterday evening.
Civil Defence authorities said the district’s roading network was “totally compromised”, with vital roads including Buffalo Beach Rd (SH25) underwater or blocked by fallen trees and downed powerlines.
Most of SH25 around the Coromandel Peninsula was closed or only open for essential trips for much of the day with slips, flooding and fallen trees making it unsafe in multiple locations.
People have been evacuated from a property in the town of Hahei at about 4pm after a landslide.
Thames Coromandel District Council Civil Defence controller Garry Towler told Newstalk ZB the cyclone is “starting to really impact us now” with severe conditions on the eastern seaboard.
“Storm surge is a big concern of ours.”
Towler said the peninsula was suffering multiple power issues and outages, while he expected further damage to homes in the next 18 to 20 hours as the storm moved closer to the region.
“It’s going to be a miserable, uncomfortable night for the Coromandel,” he said. “We’re on one knee now, this could be a big blow.”
Towler said the “whole roading network is totally compromised”.
“Hopefully, everyone has found somewhere safe to ride this one out.”
