Weather update - 5 January 6pm
Weather update - 5 January 6pm
NZ Transport Agency has advised us that the Thames Coast Road (SH25) is now passable from Te Puru north, but remains closed between Te Puru and Tararu. There is severe damage to the road at Whakatete Bay.
MetService has lifted its heavy rain warning for the Coromandel but forecasts that rain will continue to fall this evening. The strong winds are forecast to ease this evening.
Tonight's high tide between
10:30-11pm is expected to be another king tide, and there is
the potential for more flooding along the coast of the Firth
of Thames.
We're currently assessing damage from this
morning's flooding to roads and property.
We're asking people to call 111 if they are in danger. Also: stay off the roads please and don't undertake any unnecessary travel.
If you can't access your home, seek assistance from your neighbours. Call our Customer Services line on 07 868 0200 to register your need for long-term welfare support if your home is uninhabitable.
In the Thames area,
sandbags are available the Broadspectrum depot on 100 Burke St for anyone who
needs them until 6pm.
Te Puru Community Hall is open for
anyone whose home was flooded or stranded motorists. About
60 people are there but many have chosen to leave with the
Coast Rd now passable to the north.
Powerco was planning to cut power to several streets in Te Puru while issues around live electricity in flooded houses were sorted. Those streets are Aputa Ave, Sarjants Rd, Tatahi Street, Seaview Crescent. Powerco had no timeframe for the restoration of power to these streets.
Powerco is also reporting the
outage in Opito Bay affecting 245 properties should be
resolved by 8pm. Equipment there has been damaged.
Click
here for further updates and
information from Powerco.
The Pauanui water treatment
plant is closed due to too much turbidity and sediment in
the water, which prevents treatment. We’re asking
residents and visitors there to conserve water until we can
resume treatment - once the stream runs clear after the rain
eases. There are no issues with wastewater contamination -
the wastewater treatment plant is in operation and has had
no leakages.
The Whitianga Ferry service is back in
operation.
On Council roads, Port Jackson Road is closed
north of Urarima Stream (approximately 8.5km north of the
Colville Road intersection) due to the high sea level,
however we expect it to be reopened later today once the
tide recedes and debris removed.
Colville Rd is open to
one lane after a slip and is expected to be open to two
lanes tomorrow
Several roads in Thames are closed: Davy
Street, Amy Street, Beach Road, Brown Street and Fergusson
Drive.
Trees have been cleared fro Wentworth Valley Rd,
Opoutere Rd and Pauanui Waterways.
SH25 at Kuaotunu is
open to one lane while a tree is cleared.
We've had a
report that the car park surface at Thames Wharf where it
meets the wharf structure has been damaged.
Thames
Centennial Pool is closed. We hope to have it open
tomorrow.
The following public toilets are closed:
Waikawau, Tapu, Te Puru Boat Ramp, Te Puru Domain, Adams Rd
in Thornton Bay.
Hannfords Wharf is closed until it can
be inspected by a marine engineer tomorrow. Coromandel Wharf
appears OK but will be inspected tomorrow. A number of
private jetties leading off the main wharf there have been
damaged and appear unsafe.
DOC has confirmed the
Pinnacles Hut is open. The road is open with some metal
washout but still driveable for two wheel vehicles.
Water
supply to Hikutaia has been restored but will take time to
build up pressure.
The Thames to Kopu and Kopu to Kaiaua
sections of the Hauraki Rail Trail are likely to be closed
due to damage to the foreshore stopbanks along which it
runs. That damage will be inspected next week.
If you
must travel, check NZTA's website first for the
latest information about road closures. You can also use
their journey-planning website www.onthemove.govt.nz to plan
the best route for your journey, taking into account known
issues and traffic on state highways.
We'll also include
updates on known local Council road closures here. If you see a Council road
that is impassable due to flooding or a debris, call us on
07 868 0200.
The next high tides are due this evening
at:
Whitianga
Friday 5 Jan at
22:28
Thames
Friday 5 Jan at
22:57
To report a power outage, contact Powerco.
Check MetService for the latest
weather forecasts.
Waikato Regional Council has set up an
online hub for rainfall and flood related information to
help people more easily keep up to date with severe weather
events in the region.
It can be found at waikatoregion.govt.nz/flood-room
We
will post regular updates on our Council's Facebook page as
well as on our website and email newsletters.
We still
have a Total Fire Ban in place until at least 8 February,
which includes bonfires and fireworks. See www.tcdc.govt.nz/fire for more
information.
The rain should help replenish reservoirs
and water tanks, but we're still facing water restrictions
due to high use and also filtering sediment and silt that
will be coming through from this weather event. We will be
reassessing the reservoir levels within the next 24 hours to
see if restrictions need to be changed. See what
restrictions apply on our website www.tcdc.govt.nz/water.
The
Sol3 Mio concert in Whangamata is scheduled to go ahead this
evening after it was postponed from yesterday.
Click here to view the events
on around the Coromandel and refer to specific sites for
cancellation details.