Post-storm clean up continues for the Coromandel

We're examining all our infrastructure and Council assets to see what needs to be fixed and what's safe to use.

As a general rule, if you see hazard tape, cones or signs indicating a danger please respect that and stay clear.

We haven't been able to inspect everything yet, so beware of trip hazards and if you see any issues please report them to us as a Request for Service - by phone: 07 868 0200; email: customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz; or use our online form: www.tcdc.govt.nz/rfs. Please include details of the location.
Damaged but accessible:
Shortland Wharf in Thames: badly damaged. A largel part of the wharf has been fenced off and signs are up to warn people of the hazards. The café and fishmongers are open and accessible and parking is available.
All other wharfs and jetties have had their initial inspections and are open to the public. Further detailed assessments will be taking place to ensure the structural integrity of the assets and public safety.
Boat ramps: Te Puru, Ruamahunga Bay and Tararu Sailing Club are reasonably clear of storm debris and functional. Waikawau is functional. Waiomu and Tararu North boat ramps should be clear by Thursday. We have not been able to assess Kereta yet.

Thanks to some speedy work by the Amodeo Bay community, including staff and guests of Anglers Lodge, the boat ramp there and the access road have been cleared and damage patched. The boat ramp is accessible again.

Picnic tables, benches, BBQs, boardwalks and access stairways in some of our seaside reserves in Thames and on the Thames Coast have also been damaged. Use common sense and be careful.

We're also still collecting flood-damaged goods from properties until Monday 15 January. If there is no skip bin nearby your property, leave it next to the kerb and it will be collected. Keep damaged whiteware apart from other items because it will be collected separately.

If you live on the Thames Coast Road and you think access for a removal truck will be difficult, leave your flood-damaged items on the kerbside and the contractor collecting the items will arrange access with the NZTA contractors working on the road.
The Thames Refuse Transfer Station (RTS) at 102 Burke St will also accept flood-damaged items free of charge. The station's hours are at www.tcdc.govt.nz/rts.
Our building inspectors have visited 150 properties in the storm-affected areas.
• 1 is uninhabitable
• 9 have moderate damage
• 140 have light or no damage
EQC cover
Some people may be eligible to launch a claim with EQC as well as their private insurer.
• If you have flood damage to the land around your home, including retaining walls that support the land (not walls that are landscape features only) then contact EQC. EQC does not cover flood damage to your house or its contents.
• To get EQC cover, you need to have a home or contents insurance policy that includes fire protection with a private insurance company when the natural disaster damage occurred.
• While it may speed up the process if you make a claim quickly, you have three months from the date of the damage to lodge your claim.
• EQC recommends launching a claim with them at the same time as you lodge a claim with your private insurer.
• You can make a claim online on the EQC website or call EQC on 0800 326 243.
Our Civil Defence Controller Garry Towler will continue to give daily video updates via live streaming on Facebook. Here's his latest from today.

Feeling stressed?
One of the biggest parts of an "event" like last week's storm is the emotional and mental stress people experience, whether they realise it or not. Sometimes it can take weeks before issues start bubbling to the surface. If you feel like you need help, contact your GP in the first instance.

If you don't feel able to talk to your GP, we have some resources at Council that we can pass on to you. Contact us on 07 868 0200; email: customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz; or come into one of our offices.
Or, check out the fact sheets on the Civil Defence website.

Thames Coast Road status

SH25 along the Thames Coast is open but with cautions.
NZ Transport Agency says it will remove the cordons north of Thames today at 6pm, with light vehicles able to use the road without cordons.

The Coast Road is not suitable for heavy vehicles over five tonnes, NZTA says, and they are prohibited between Te Puru and Manaia.

The alternative route using SH25A (Kopu-Hikuai Rd) and SH25 via Tairua is available for heavy vehicles while NZTA contractors repair the Coast Rd.

The Coast Rd will be a work site for some time to come and motorists are asked to take extra care and to expect delays due to stop-go control and speed restrictions in a number of locations between Thames and Manaia.

Stay up to date on the Thames Coast Rd
• A new webpage has been set up to provide travel information for the journey from Thames to Manaia www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/sh25
• The key traffic and travel source which provides up-to-date information on weather and road conditions nationwide is www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic
• Important information is also shared via the Transport Agency’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts listed here www.nzta.govt.nz/contact-us/connect-with-us/
• You can also call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) to speak to NZTA's call centre team who can provide you with traffic and travel information either before you're travelling or when you're on the road.
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Stay updated on weather warnings

Whenever we get a warning from MetService about bad weather coming our way, we pass on those alerts on all our communications channels.

These updates are available on the News section on the front page of our website, in our email newsletters and on our Facebook and Twitter (@OurCoromandel) accounts.
Last week we published our first news of the storm brewing over the Tasman Sea on Tuesday 2 January.

Since then we've published 19 updates about the storm, both before and after Friday morning's damaging high tide, with what we knew about the incoming weather front coinciding with very high tides, the response to this weather, and about the ongoing recovery efforts.
Our www.tcdc.govt.nz website has had 92,756 page views since then (at least three times the usual traffic), with our weather updates regularly getting about 4,000 views.

A total of 61,615 email versions of our weather updates were sent to our subscribers. Go to www.tcdc.govt.nz/subscribe to receive these in your inbox.

Posts on Our Facebook site received more than 29,000 page views, reaching 259,993 Facebook users. The videos we posted, including our ongoing live streams with our Civil Defence Controller Garry Towler, have had 175,893 views.

We have gained 1,840 Facebook followers since 2 January.
Thank you very much to everyone for their feedback on our communications - both positive and negative. The overwhelming majority of comments have been positive.

To stay up to date on weather events and emergency preparedness, follow us on all the above channels, plus you can download the Red Cross Hazards app, stay tuned to local radio in your area, visit the Waikato Civil website for information on how to plan for an emergency , and get weather updates from MetService.

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