Storms In Bay of Plenty
Storms In Bay of Plenty
The storms of the past few days have caused some issues around the Bay of Plenty. The worst hit areas appear to be around Whakatāne and the Eastern Bay.
Whakatāne District
A number of areas in Whakatāne, Ōhope and Coastlands have experienced surface flooding, power outages, and other issues. Several roads are currently closed due to flooding, slips and other hazards. The Whakatane Emergency Operations Centre was activated yesterday evening.
Some properties have been evacuated in the Alexander Ave/Douglas Street area.
More information is available at www.whakatane.govt.nz
Bay of Plenty Regional Council
River levels are high around the region with ‘first warning’ levels past last night but have since dropped away.
The Whakatāne River at Valley Road has passed the first warning level and boats are being removed from their moorings on the river.
The Okere Gates are at their maximum setting (full open) and the Rotoiti lake level is falling slightly. The Gates are likely to remain open the rest of the weekend but will be reviewed regularly.
There are many power outages at pump stations for drainage schemes and power companies are working to restore power and Regional Council staff are also attending to pumps.
You can find out more about current river levels and other information on Regional Council’s Live Monitoring site.
Metservice
The Severe Weather Warning for the Bay of Plenty has now been lifted however a watch remains in place with unsettled weather forecast to continue over today. Thunderstorms are expected to become more widespread as the day warms. The Metservice website has detailed information for the region.
Regional Council and other local national and local authorities will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide regular updates as the situation changes.
Ends