School closed, freedom campers moved after flooding on Coromandel Peninsula
Tuesday, 15 October 2019
Severe rainfall and rising floodwaters forced freedom campers to relocate, schools to shut, and roads to close along the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki districts on Tuesday.
Around 40 freedom campers situated near the Thames airfield were faced with rising floodwaters and an incoming high tide and were advised to move in the early hours, the Waikato Regional Council said.
It came after the catchment above the Kauaeranga River saw 160mm in rainfall overnight, blocking SH25 south of Thames.
NZTA said the majority of roads reopened about midday, but surface flooding, debris and slips remained a hazard for motorists.
**READ MORE:
* Live - Torrential rain, strong winds hit northern NZ
* Beach Road: The rising sea and the reshaping of New Zealand
* Coromandel Peninsula flooding: Highways remain closed after downpours**
State Highway 25, at the intersection with Hikuai Settlement Road, due to flooding on Tuesday afternoon.
Civil Defence controller for the Coromandel Peninsula Garry Towler said the storm was predicted to be a 29-hour event that would hit the Eastern Coast the hardest.
He said that while the rain had appeared to ease and flood waters had subsided by the early-afternoon, more bad weather was expected throughout the evening.
'It is common knowledge on the Peninsula that if it rains for eight hours, it's going to flood.
'When we have a hiatus or a break in the weather, everybody involved - council staff, Civil Defence, roading contractors - work extremely hard to get on top of things and evaluate where they are at,' he said.
'We use that time very seriously to try and catch up on things.'
Tuesday morning's rainfall disrupted routines; with Whenuakite School, near Tairua, forced to close due to flooding. Road closures also meant rubbish collections were likely to be delayed, Thames-Coromandel District Council said.
Power outages were also reported in Whitianga, Te Mata and Hikuai.
'The storm hit harder on the Eastern seaboard than it did on the Thames Coast… but for those that live on the Coromandel and know it well, for them, it's business as usual,' Towler said.
'They are very resilient and do heed the warnings and plan ahead.'
Meanwhile, in the Hauraki district, students from Hauraki Plains College were left stranded with busses unable to do the morning pick-up in Thames, Pauanui or Tairua.
The Hauraki Rail Trail was also forced to close between Thames and Paeroa due to a fallen tree.
The trail on Rotokohu Road, near Karangahake, had fallen victim to the weather and was under water, the rail trail trust said.
But it wasn't an inconvenience for all, with a person spotted climbing into their kayak and going for a paddle across the Paeroa rugby field.
A spokesperson from the club said the amount of flooding was the worst they had seen for a while.
Luckily, no games were planned for the next few days, they said, with the Hauraki District Rugby League final coming to an end on Saturday with Paeroa taking the victory.
While stretches of SH25 that were earlier blocked have since reopened, SH25 in Kuaotunu remains closed for bridge repairs, following damage by a storm in the area last month. It's expected to reopen by Labour weekend, depending on the weather.
Civil Defence also advised road users travelling to the Tuia 250 celebrations in Whitianga this weekend to check websites for any road closures and to add an extra 30 minutes to their journey to account for any slips or road works.
'We want to make sure people get there safely and enjoy themselves,' Towler said.
'It can be treacherous, so if you can, travel during the day, rather than at night.'