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The floods have affected more than 90 properties in Napier, with at least two elderly people rescued from the floods and dozens of people evacuated from their homes.
Dozens of people have been evacuated from Napier and firefighters have responded to more than 80 properties.
Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
Wild weather is hitting Napier tonight, with slips, floods and leaky roofs causing chaos. Firefighters have been called in to help flooded buildings downtown, and many properties are without power.
Civil Defense says dozens of people have been evacuated from the area.
MetService warned that rain could continue into late tonight, with more expected tomorrow.
The Napier City Council has asked residents to reduce strain on the sewage network, and Unison Power Company has reported unplanned outages at more than 2,000 properties in the area.
People in need of help have been asked to call 111 for help, not the Napier Fire Station.
Firefighters have already responded to at least 80 calls, with another 40 still waiting for help.
Floods in downtown Napier.
Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
Forecasters warned Hawke’s Bay residents that up to 130mm of rain could cause surface flooding and driving hazards starting this afternoon, when rain rates could reach as high as 40mm / hr during thunderstorms. With “another flurry of heavy rain possible on Tuesday.”
Napier South resident Amanda said the amount of water was overwhelming.
“It’s like there’s a river running down the road, and I’ve lived here every now and then since I was three, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
MetService issued a heavy rain warning for Hawke’s Bay south of Wairoa starting at 4 p.m. Monday, and rain is expected elsewhere in the eastern and southern North Island as far as Wellington.
The floods are causing traffic problems in Napier.
Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
RNZ reporter Tom Kitchin told RNZ Control he had been trapped in his office by flooding outside the building and torrential rains.
“The rain is very strong … I do not want to go out because I know that a lot of water will enter the office, it is so bad at the moment. I can see that the roads are flooded everywhere.
“Fire and Emergency NZ are quite busy … they only get several calls. They have received about 20 calls in the last hours in Napier, many buildings have been flooded, there is a lot of surface flooding, and I only hear the sirens blaring in this moment “.
The Napier City Council said the flood was causing problems for the sewage network.
Residents have been asked to avoid flushing the toilets and to avoid using showers, dishwashers or washing machines to try to relieve stress on the network.
The council said an emergency discharge could be made in the Ahuriri estuary if the system was under too much pressure.
He sent a warning to residents this afternoon, warning that rain that had already fallen could create problems if it rained more heavily.
“Napier had 53.2mm of rain today, and another 34.7mm is expected to fall through midnight.
“If an emergency discharge is carried out, this should prevent sewage from backing up and overflowing onto city streets and properties,” the council said.
Flooding in Napier today, posted by listener Andrew Frame.
Photo: Supplied.
MetService Heavy Rain Warnings
MetService warned that heavy rain could fall in Hawke’s Bay south of Wairoa and Gisborne until 1 a.m. Tuesday.
In addition to what had fallen during the day, they said another 70 to 100mm of rain could fall in the ranges, with 40 to 70mm elsewhere.
Thunderstorms could bring intense drops starting in the afternoon and could reach 25 mm / h to 40 mm / h in thunderstorms.
Forecasters warned that more heavy rain could also arrive on Tuesday.
Photo: MetService
Heavy rains and thunderstorms could hit the Tararua district between 7pm tonight and 7am tomorrow, with up to 100mm of rain and downpours of up to 25mm / h.
Wairarapa and the eastern hills of Wellington could expect heavy rains from 9pm Monday to 11am Tuesday, with up to 110mm in some parts and intensities as high as 20mm / hr.
“A front in the eastern North Island should sink to the south today and tomorrow morning, causing heavy rains,” MetService said Monday.
“On Tuesday, a low is forecast to continue east across the upper North Island, bringing rain to many places.”
Heavy rains could hit the Coromandel Peninsula on Tuesday starting at 6 a.m. and the Bay of Plenty starting at 11 a.m.
