The intensity of Cyclone Hale is being felt locally with heavy rainfall across the district.

Wairoa District Council has established an Incident Management Team which is monitoring the situation and on standby. While the impact of the Cyclone is not yet being fully realised, people throughout the district should be reassured that plans are in place for if the situation escalates.

Service agencies are also prepared, offering extra support and also have staff on standby.

Heavy rainfall is expected to continue overnight and tomorrow morning with forecasts suggesting the Wairoa district is likely to receive more rain than the rest of Hawke’s Bay.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council do not expect any major issues with the Wairoa River and are happy with the river mouth location and width, and do not foresee any issues, but will continue to monitor the situation.

The Hangaroa/Ruakituri River is rising, and a trigger point has been reached activating the closure of Te Reinga Bridge to vehicles and pedestrians as a safety precaution.

The Tiniroto Road is closed at the Gisborne end due to flooding.

The Kopuawhara Stream, Opoutama, is rising and Kaiwaitau Road residents have been advised that if the stream continues to rise evacuation may be needed. Pumps are hoses are in position if needed.

Residents in the immediate vicinity of the Nuhaka River/Bar catchment are also being monitored.

Heavy rain is causing surface flooding and while people are advised to stay home, if you have to drive, please exercise caution on all roads.

Locally, there are excavators and loaders placed at strategic positions throughout the district in order to clear roads, with additional machinery based in Wairoa and ready to be deployed if required.

From an electricity perspective there have been power outages, particularly further up the coast. Eastland Network has crews working to find and fix faults and is expecting more outages to occur overnight. Please report any outages to 0800 206 207. Please treat all lines as live at all times.

Council contractors have carried out a three waters pre-event check to ensure clear stormwater drains and portaloos and sandbags are also on standby for if needed.

Wairoa township residents are asked to ‘not rush to flush’. During some heavy rainfall events the Wairoa wastewater system can become overwhelmed with rain, and minimising household wastewater is helpful.

People are also reminded to stay away from floodwaters and waterways, such as the Wairoa River.

If you feel you, your family and/or your property are at risk, immediately contact emergency services on 111.

For any Wairoa District Council related reports, such as blocked roads, please phone the Council’s 24/7 number, 06 838 7309. 

10 January 2023

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