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More Napier homes have been found to be uninhabitable, as floods from one in 250 years of rain on Monday begin to subside.
By 4 p.m., flood recovery assessment teams completed 225 assessments of impacted homes and properties, 30 of which are now uninhabitable, said Hawke’s Bay Fire and Emergency Area Commander Ken Cooper.
Eighteen of these houses are on Napier Hill.
Thirteen of the 30 properties suffered major damage, with 11 located on or around Napier Hill and two in Mawera.
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* State of emergency declared in Napier due to flooding causing landslides, evacuations and power outages
John Cowpland / Stuff
Aerial photographs on Tuesday showed the extent of the flooding.
“After completing the initial general assessment of the affected areas, our teams from various agencies of urban search and rescue engineers and the Napier City Council continue with more detailed assessments of the properties.”
The city remains in a state of emergency.
The weather was clearing, along with the streets of Napier. But the stark memory of the floods remained evident, with collapsed garden walls, small mounds of trash removed from drains, and debris-strewn pathways.
Some roads on Napier Hill remained closed while contractors continued to work to clear slips.
Authorities have urged people in flooded areas to stay out of the water.
On Wednesday, the government pledged $ 100,000 for the Mayor’s Relief Fund, which will go towards food and clothing for vulnerable families.
Emergency Management Minister Kiri Allan announced the funding at a press conference in Napier on Wednesday morning.
He said the flooding had a significant impact on many Napier families, with another 30 people evacuated Tuesday night, bringing the total of people in emergency shelter to 60.
Cooper said that the community had been resilient throughout the event and that there had been an incredible response from the locals.
Georgia May Gilbertson / Stuff
Emergency Management Minister Kiri Allan speaks to the media at a press conference on Wednesday morning.
John Cowpland / Stuff
Much of Napier was under water Tuesday, but with water levels dropping, the city was going into cleanup mode.
More rain forecast
While Napier is unlikely to see rainfall at the levels that fell Monday, MetService issued a heavy rain watch for Hawke’s Bay and surrounding regions.
MetService metrologist Dan Corrigan said the heavy rain watch lasts until 8pm Wednesday and there could be localized downpours of 25mm to 35mm, but it should subside at night.
16.6mm of rain was recorded at the Napier Airport from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.
John Cowpland / Stuff
Nirvana Annas used a kayak to monitor locals around Nuffield Ave on Tuesday.
Thursday was expected to be fine.
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defense Emergency Management group manager Ian Macdonald said that while the rain overnight and Wednesday hadn’t helped, it hadn’t made things worse.
“Our pumping systems are working well and we have more pumps arriving in Hawke’s Bay today. But the weather will not make it easy for our first responders or those already affected by the floods. “
The Civil Defense also urged residents to avoid harvesting shellfish at Westshore Beach, Ahuriri Estuary, Pandora Pond, and Tutaekuri River on Guppy Rd, due to the potential for contamination.
John Cowpland / Stuff
A family navigates the flooding in Napier on Tuesday.
School’s out, power almost returned
Several schools remained closed Wednesday, including Henry Hill School, Maraenui Bilingual School, Marewa School, Napier Girls’ High School, Richmond School, Tamatea High School, Taradale High School and Westshore School. Henry Hill School may be closed for the remainder of the term.
Most of Napier has had power restored after Monday’s weather event, and Unison’s energy teams returned to flood-affected areas Wednesday to reconnect those still without power.
Unison’s relationship manager Danny Gough said there may still be some groups of customers that are still without power due to faults within the low-voltage system.
- For emergencies or safety concerns, call emergency services 111
- If you need social assistance, call 0800 422923
- For questions or concerns related to the council, call (06) 835 7579
- For power outages or failures, call Unison 0800 2 86476
