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Many Napier residents will spend a second night in the dark with at least 800 homes still without power after a flood of one in 250 years.
At least 16 homes were deemed habitable after 106 properties were assessed Tuesday by New Zealand Civil Defense, Fire and Emergency personnel, Red Cross and Napier City Council.
Damage to structures in the impacted areas, Napier Hill and the suburbs of Maraenui, Marewa and Pirimai, ranged from mild to severe, said FENZ area manager Ken Cooper.
The state of emergency remains in place overnight, and a heavy rain warning is expected to last until 8 p.m. Wednesday in Hawke’s Bay.
MetService predicts that the region could expect 40 to 60mm of rain overnight.
It is expected to decline in Napier on Wednesday afternoon.
As of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Civil Defense was still advising against all non-essential travel and keeping domestic wastewater to a minimum.
Unison Power Company Relations Manager Danny Gough said that as floodwaters slowly receded, the damage is proving more challenging than expected.
“The water depth in some areas has damaged our high-voltage assets, such as transformers and switchgear.”
Many schools that closed Tuesday plan to reopen Wednesday.
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THINGS
Trish Wallace, owner of Madisons in downtown Napier, describes the flood damage.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the first priority was caring for the vulnerable. Maraenui, Pirimai and Bluff Hill were the priority areas.
About 30 people were staying at a welfare center in Kennedy Park.
At this stage it was unclear when the state of emergency would be lifted, Wise said.
John Cowpland / Stuff
A van drives through the flooded streets of Napier after torrential rains in the city.
She said the council’s infrastructure was designed to handle a one-in-100-year flood event.
“This was a one-in-250-year event,” he said.
John Cowpland / Stuff
Rugby posts protrude from submerged fields after heavy rains caused flooding in Napier.
“What we must be very aware of is the change in our world, in terms of climate change and other factors, we are going to have events like this more frequently and we must start investing in our infrastructure for the future. “
Wise said the region had seen “more weather events than we would have liked” and the council was “accelerating a number of projects to address it in the future.”
Niwa meteorologist Chris Brandolino said heavy rains and floods have always occurred, but climate change is making them more extreme.
“As we move forward over the next few decades, events like these will become not only more common, but even more extreme … What will happen is what defines a one-in-100-year event today, that will be a different definition 50 years. from now on, 80 years from now, ”he said.
John Cowpland / Stuff
The streets are submerged after heavy rain in Napier.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand received 300 calls related to flood-related damage overnight Monday.
Cooper said if residents had a security problem or didn’t feel safe, call 111.
John Cowpland / Stuff
The streets are submerged after heavy rain in Napier.
Police spent the night away from home, including moving stranded doctors to the Hawke’s Bay Hospital emergency department for their shifts.
Additional staff had been hired to help, although some Hawke’s Bay officers were off work, dealing with the flooding in their own homes.
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The rain gauge map shows how concentrated the rain was above Napier.
Hawke’s Bay Police Area Commander Jeanette Park said residents of Marewa and Onekawa must stay indoors until floodwaters recede.
People should not drive in floodwaters, and those in flood-affected areas should stay indoors as the water was contaminated, Fire and Emergency said.
Health Medical Officer Nick Jones said people should not eat any food that has come in contact with flood waters.
John Cowpland / Stuff
Nirvana Annas uses her kayak to control the locals in the community. He has helped people evacuate and has run supply tours for those in need.
“Children should stay away from floods and from playing in puddles, which may have been contaminated by sewage,” he said.
Drinking water is considered safe, he said.
John Cowpland / Stuff
One family found a creative way to keep their son out of the floodwaters.
Engineers with the regional council warned that the rain “would not cause problems” for rivers and streams.
“This was quite a sudden event, in a very small area,” Macdonald said.
Georgia-May Gilbertson / Stuff
From the left, Benji, Junior, Arlow and Ruby Lauano are carried through the floodwaters by Daddy, Migao Lauano
Community rallies together
Previously, Nuffield Ave resident Candice Burger said the water in the street outside her home was up to her hips and her new fence had been completely washed out.
The family had left at about 5.30pm last night to buy supplies, but on the way home at 6.30pm the water was high enough to stop the car. Three people had to push him into the driveway while his nine-year-old daughter drove.
Marty Sharpe / Stuff
Brewster St in Napier Hill, where several houses were damaged by the floods.
While the situation was stressful, she said the community had been amazing supporting each other.
Two of those people were Nirvana Annas and Dylan Rosser, who had climbed into a kayak to go out and people-watch, bringing supplies and evacuating them if necessary.
John Cowpland / Stuff
By Tuesday, the rain had subsided, but the city was flooded.
“We rescued some children from some houses this morning, but we are just hanging around and seeing if any of the elderly need supplies, and we can go get them,” Annas said.
His backpack was filled with thermos of hot water, for which they had no power.
John Cowpland / Stuff
A Napier resident ventures outside in rubber boots Tuesday morning.
“Most of the people are fine, but their houses, some of them are quite deep under water, that’s what worries them.”
Rosser said people were shocked by the experience and worried about the rain to come.
“There’s a lot of rubbish floating around, so we’re going to go and help people as much as we can.”
John Cowpland / Stuff
Cars venture through floodwater on Napier Nuffield Ave Monday night.
Double a month of rain in 24 hours
Niwa recorded 237mm rainfall at Nelson Park in Napier South on Monday night, more than four times more than on a normal November day. This was not far from the city record, which was 297mm on June 3, 1963.
The airport received 124mm of rain in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. Tuesday, double the November monthly average of 66mm, MetService meteorologist Thomas Adams said.
While Tuesday’s rain is unlikely to be that heavy, Adams urged caution as rivers in the area were rising.
Marty Sharpe / Stuff
Barker Rd in the Napier suburb of Marewa on Tuesday morning. After a torrential rain Monday, Napier woke up to blue skies and a flooded city.
* For emergencies or safety concerns, call emergency services 111
* If you need social assistance, call 0800 422923
* For questions or concerns related to the advice, call (06) 835 7579
