TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 ROAD BECAME A RIVER: State Highway 35 was swamped by a flash flood yesterday morning after heavy rain pelted the township of Tokomaru Bay. The community was cut off for most of the day. Drivers are urged to travel with caution on the Coast roads today and more rain is forecast from tomorrow. FLASH Picture supplied FLOOD Around 20 families evacuated in Tokomaru Bay. Hatea a Rangi School flooded, closed, with around 30 students at home today. SH35 closed by Potaka because of slip. Peak rainfall at Ruatoria 55.5mm in the hour between 7am and 8am. Waikura Valley, top of East Cape, SEE recorded 207mm in 24 hours. PAGES Civil Defence coordination post is at 2-3 Tokomaru Bay Sports Club rooms. DESTRUCTION: In yesterday’s deluge more than 60mm of rain was recorded at one location between 7am and 8am. MP Kiri Allan is pictured (centre) inspecting a washout on Kopuaroa Rd, Waipiro Bay, where a car slipped off the road. Ms Allan is pictured with Tokomaru Bay policeman Constable Toa Saulala (left) and Radio New Zealand Maori news director, and Ms Allan’s partner, Mani Dunlop. Picture by Kuipo Tupouniua Saulala FIND IT LEARN IT ENROL BE IT FULL-TIME • PART-TIME • ONLINE NOW START DESIGN IT JULY 2021 eit.ac.nz | 0800 22 55 348 EIT SCHOOL OF COMPUTING 38587-04 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............11 Television ...........16 Sport ............ 20-24 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Classifieds ... 17-18 Weather .............23 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National .......... 6-10 World............ 13-15 Racing ................19 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Monday, June 21, 2021 TOKOMARU UNDERWATER Roads washed out, families evacuated in East Coast downpour ISOLATED: Some residents in Kopuaroa Road, Waipiro Bay have been cut off after a part of the road near the junction of SH35 and Kopuaroa Road was washed away. Picture supplied HIGH RIVERS: The heavy rainfall on Saturday caused the Kopuaroa streams to DAMAGE DONE: Minister for Emergency Management and East Coast overflow on to roads and caused parts of the road to wash out. MP Kiri Allan visited Tokomaru Bay and Waipiro Bay with Tokomaru Bay Picture supplied Constable Toa Saulala to assess the damage. Picture supplied WATERLOGGED: Ruatoria’s Waiomatatini Road. Picture supplied The Gisborne Herald • Monday, June 21, 2021 NEWS 3 CLEAN-UP AFTER SCHOOL FLOODED: Hatea a Rangi School is closed today after water flooded into every classroom, leaving around 30 students learning from DELUGE home today. Principal Karla Kohatu said they were waiting for the insurance assessor to evaluate the damage but she hoped to have some classrooms open by the end of the week. Picture supplied THE East Coast community was out He said the land around his home was in force today to clean up after torrential “munted” too. rain yesterday morning left the coastal One hour, 60mm of rain His carport was under four feet of township of Tokomaru Bay underwater. water, which also wiped out the family’s Flooding and slash mobilised washing machine, fridges and freezers throughout the district caused damage THE heaviest rainfall in years dumped on a The rain drove in from the north and north- they had out there. to roads. Streams and rivers spilled over small strip of the East Coast yesterday, delivering east, and the amount of water pouring out of the Husband and wife Jack and Waitangi their banks and caused flooding. a torrential deluge of over two inches of rain in hills saw some rivers rise rapidly. Chambers live down the road from the At 8.30 yesterday morning, Tokomaru one hour at one location. North of Tolaga Bay the Hikuwai River at Herberts on Tewehi Road. Bay’s Victor Herbert was still in his Peak rainfall hit from Ruatoria down to Willowflat shot up to a peak of 9.8 metres, around “We evacuated ourselves around pyjamas but knew he had to get his Tokomaru Bay between 7am and 8am yesterday 11am to midday. 8.30am because we could see the danger family out of their home. Putting on morning. The highest the Hikuwai River has reached in of the water rising. Our house was his gumboots he piggy-backed his three Te Puia Springs recorded a total of 154.5 recent years was 11.95m in 2008. completely surrounded by water, and at children to safety as flood water lapped millimetres in the 24 hours up to midnight last Rain totals around the rest of the district that time it was still raining.” at their front and back door on Tewehi night. ranged from 100mm down to 30mm, tapering off Mr Chambers, 76, said he and his wife, Road. Leaving their three cats inside the It also recorded the biggest hourly rainfall of towards the south. 66, were able to return home two hours family sheltered at Tokomaru Bay Sports all the district council rain gauges — a whopping Even so, Te Arai River near Manutuke rose to later after the rain had stopped and the Club Rooms where his wife Karina works. 60mm in the hour between 7am and 8am almost 7.5m around 2pm yesterday afternoon. water receded. The club rooms have become the Civil yesterday morning. — RH “It was four inches away from coming Defence (CD) coordination point for the The Waikura Valley at the top of East Cape inside. community. recorded the biggest rainfall total of all - 207mm ■ The Metservice this morning issued a heavy “I’m happy the rain has stopped and Some homes were wiped out by flood in 24 hours and 303.5mm in the week ending at rain warning for south of Gisborne. we’re home but there are others who waters coming inside, and in places silt midnight yesterday. From 6pm today through to 10am Tuesday can’t get back to their homes yet. two to three feet deep was left as the The Oweka River gauge near Hick’s Bay was expect 80-110mm of rain to accumulate south of “It’s been an ongoing thing and no one water receded. a close second with 194.8mm in the 24 hours to Muriwai and in the hills of the Wairoa District. wants to take responsibility for it. One resident on Arthur St lost her two midnight, and 297mm for the week. “Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to “Every time it rains, the roads people caravans, and her container house to Ruatoria was also hit by the downpour, with rise rapidly,” the forecasters said. blame it on the council, and the council Waiotu Stream. 160mm in the 24 hours and a peak of 55.5mm in “Surface flooding and slips are also possible blame it on the roads people. “All three are in the sea,” said CD and the hour between 7am and 8am. and driving conditions may be hazardous.” “We’re trying to find a solution here but Gisborne District Council (GDC) northern no one wants to listen.” area liaison officer Lillian Ward. In a Facebook post, Kiri Allan said There had been a huge response form there was a fair bit of damage to homes the wider community to help, she said. Bill Burdett, and councillor Pat Seymour all the blessings. No lives were lost.” down Arthur Street with families having “A big mihi to all the support we was expected after lunch. Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Nga Taonga to be relocated until their houses could be have received through Tairawhiti, we “Around 20 people had to evacuate and Tuturu Ki Tokomaru, a school near the cleaned and assessed. appreciate it. It keeps us going.” three whanau are still unable to get back main bridge, reported little to no damage “There are a few families without road The heavy rain peaked between 7am into their homes,” Ms Ward said. but they had instructed students to stay access down off Kopuraroa and McIlroy and 8am yesterday. Hatea a Rangi School, near the Four home for the day. roads,” she said. “This morning we sent out seven crews Square Tokomaru Bay store, was flooded “We’re lucky at this point not to have A part of Kopuaroa Road between the of 10 people each who will start to assist and closed today. any flood damage,” a staff member Kopuaroa and SH35 junction has washed and help get rid of silt,” Ms Ward said Principal Karla Kohatu said they were reported. out which has cut off residents. today. coordinating a clean-up of the school so “The river did come very close, right up “Pretty gutted to see the damage “Our elderly are making cups of tea for students could eventually get back to the flood banks but so far there seems to caused to Hatea a Rangi School. Was the volunteers.” class. be no damage.” awesome to see so many folk out helping Ms Ward said many whanau were “We are still waiting for the assessor Anyone who wants to help can head their neighbours out and people checking being held up by insurance assessors who to evaluate the damage. While we would to Tokomaru Bay Sports Clubrooms on on each other. had yet to assess the damage. like to have our Tuakana classroom and Mangahauini Road where helpers are “Keep safe whanau, and keep looking “Kiritapu Allan is up here this morning Teina classroom operational by the end of being coordinated. out for each other,” Ms Allan said. with us. She stayed the night last night.” the week we still have a few matters to However, caution is advised on the road Te Araroa resident Ripeka Irwin said The Minister for Emergency work through,” she said.