Clean up begins in Rotorua
Clean up begins in Rotorua as damage assessments continue
Members of the public are asked to stay away from the flood-affected Western Road area in Ngongotaha unless they need to be there.
Residents have been returning to their homes today and starting the clean-up.
“We’ve had reports of ‘sightseers’ showing up and we would ask that people please respect what local residents are going through and allow them to do what they need to do,” Acting Civil Defence Primary Controller Bruce Horne says.
“Council staff and Red Cross representatives have been in the Western Road area providing information, advice and support to residents and helping with delivery of food and other items dropped off at Trinity Church in Ngongotaha which, with support from local businesses and the community, has sprung into action to assist fellow locals.
“There’s been a great effort all round today but there’s a lot still to be done and we are still gathering information to help provide us with a good picture of what we’re dealing with across the wider district. We’ve had to focus first on the worst-affected area and helping people there.”
Most roads are open again although several roads in Reporoa and Rerewhakaaitu remain closed. See THIS LINK for more information about roads.
Stormwater and sewerage systems are also coping well today after being inundated yesterday.
“Many
people affected by flooding self-evacuated and there were
just three evacuees we had to find accommodation for
overnight Sunday with two accommodated again tonight,” Mr
Horne says.
“Crews have been out all day working on
slips and assessing roads and clearing and that will
continue.”
Reminders:
•
There is still a high potential of contamination from
stormwater within houses that were affected by yesterday’s
floods. Please keep children away from these areas and wash
hands and clothes thoroughly after contact.
• Mains drinking water is safe. However if you get your drinking water from another source such as river or lake boil it as a precaution.
• If you are in need of help or assistance please contact Council on 07 348 4199 as soon as possible.
• If you see manhole lids that may have become dislodged in yesterday’s weather please contact Council as soon as possible on 07 348 4199 to fix the issue this includes manholes on private properties.
• We have been receiving lots of generous offers of kai and household goods. At this time we don’t have a
What’s the ongoing
weather forecast for today/this week?
Currently
we expect a few showers over the next couple of days with
fine weather from Wednesday onwards. Click HERE for the latest weather update from
MetService
What can/should I do at
home?
There are potential health risks
associated with contaminated flood water. It can be assumed
that all flood water is potentially contaminated with farm
run-off, fecal matter from animals and in some cases,
sewage.
If your house was affected by flood water wait
for a building or health officer to assess the damage and
give guidance on what to do next. It is also advisable to
contact your insurance company as soon as
possible.
Who do I call if my waterworks are
blocked/overflowing?
Please refer all calls for
damaged infrastructure to Council on 07 348 4199 and a staff
member will attend as soon as possible.
Who
coordinates the recovery and clean up and how are things
prioritised?
Council is the lead agency in a
Civil Defence emergency such as this with support from other
agencies like Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and New
Zealand Police.
Our top priority is the safety of
residents and crew members on the ground. We are now moving
into recovery mode which means getting people, businesses
and infrastructure back to normal.
Roading crews are also
prioritising areas where roads need to be cleared and
stabilised and access restored.
What’s
happening at the WWTP?
Yesterday during the
heavy rain the wastewater treatment plant was overwhelmed,
unable to cope with the volume of water trying to enter the
plant, causing diluted sewage to overflow the system, which
meant contaminated wastewater entered the stream and
lake.
Since about 8.30pm yesterday evening the pressure
on the sewerage systems started to ease and they are all now
back to normal and coping well.
How many people
were taken to the welfare centre at the EEC and what
assistance were they given?
Many people who were
evacuated and taken to the Emergency Welfare Centre set up
at the Energy Events Centre were picked up from there by
family and friends and did not register. The centre catered
to approximately 40 people throughout the evening and was
able to provide shelter, food, medical assistance and advice
and information. The centre stayed open overnight in case
others needed accommodation or overnight assistance.
Overnight accommodation was found for three people who came
to the centre.
How many weather related calls did
RLC receive over the weekend?
Between 8am Sunday
29 April and 8am Monday 30 April Council received
approximately 750 calls with the majority related to weather
incidents.
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