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Aerial photos reveal the extent of the flooding in Napier after the city received more than double its average monthly rainfall in the space of 24 hours, prompting a state of emergency.
Although the rain has subsided, the city is not out of the woods, with a rain watch in the area from 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon to 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Hundreds of homes are without power and many schools have announced that they will not open on Tuesday, including Tamatea Primary, Porritt Primary, Tamatea Intermediate, Tamatea High and Fairhaven classes at these schools.
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THINGS
Trish Wallace, owner of Madisons in downtown Napier, describes the flood damage.
Nuffield Ave resident Candice Burger said the water on 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.
John Cowpland / Stuff
A van drives through the flooded streets of Napier after torrential rains in the city.
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.
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Rugby posts protrude from submerged fields after heavy rains caused flooding in Napier.
“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.
“Most of the people are fine, but their houses, some of them are quite deep under water, that’s what worries them.”
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The streets are submerged after heavy rain in Napier.
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 our people as much as we can.”
Trish Wallace, owner of the Napier Madisons central store, said the water began to arrive at closing time Monday, when staff were still on deck.
John Cowpland / Stuff
The streets are submerged after heavy rain in Napier.
“Every time a car passed by, a big wave would get up,” he said. But the store had not suffered much damage as staff had pulled the furniture out of the floodwaters.
“Hopefully the insurance company won’t be too bad,” he said.
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.
Niwa had recorded 237mm of rainfall at Nelson Park in Napier South on Monday night, more than four times more than on a typical 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.
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One family found a creative way to keep their son out of the floodwaters.
While Tuesday’s rain is unlikely to be that heavy, Adams urged caution as rivers in the area were rising.
“It’s definitely not a good time for a homeless man in the Kaweka Ranges,” he said.
MetService is also forecasting potential thunderstorms in North Hawke’s Bay, so residents are urged to stay tuned for news and expect delays if traveling.
Georgia-May Gilbertson / Stuff
(From left to right) Benji, Junior, Arlow, and Ruby Lauano are carried through the floodwaters at the hands of Daddy, Migao Lauano.
New Zealand Fire and Emergency Area Manager Ken Cooper said he received 300 calls related to the flooding between 5 p.m. Monday and 3 a.m. Tuesday. About 80 firefighters worked during the night.
Emergency services encouraged people to stay with family and friends if they needed to evacuate, but some 60 people were at a welfare center in Kennedy Park in the suburb of Marewa.
Marty Sharpe / Stuff
Brewster St in Napier Hill, where several houses were damaged by the floods.
Sixteen properties in Napier Hill had suffered serious damage, and a Palmerston North search and rescue team will work with the Napier City Council to assess the damage.
There had been significant flooding in the lower suburbs, including Maraenui and Pirimai, and the Defense Force had helped Fire and Emergency assess these areas, Cooper said.
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By Tuesday, the rain had subsided, but the city was flooded.
Fire and Emergency, along with other agencies, would work to keep the community safe, especially those who were vulnerable. If people felt unsafe, Cooper urged them to call 111.
People should not drive in floodwaters, and those in flood-affected areas should stay indoors as the water was contaminated, Fire and Emergency said.
John Cowpland / Stuff
A Napier resident ventures outside in rubber boots Tuesday morning.
The city remains in a state of emergency, which was declared by Mayor Kirsten Wise on Monday night.
Hawke’s Bay Police Area Commander Jeanette Park said residents in Marewa and Onekawa must stay indoors until the floodwaters recede, and all Napier residents who do not need to travel should stay home.
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Cars venture through floodwater on Napier Nuffield Ave Monday night.
Unison spokesman Danny Gough said the power company had restored power to about 2,000 homes Tuesday morning, but 680 properties were still without power. The crew was working this morning to restore it, after they were removed last night due to conditions, he said.
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.
Health Medical Officer Nick Jones said people should not eat any food that has come in contact with flood waters.
“Children should stay away from floods and from playing in puddles, which may have been contaminated by sewage,” he said.
