Emergency management centre activates as heavy rain batters Taranaki, floods house

Taranaki’s emergency management centre has been activated after one house flooded as intense rain batters the region and other parts of the country.

In an emailed statement, Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management regional manager Todd Velvin said there had been one isolated incident of a family in Egmont Village experiencing flooding on the lower floor of their home.

While there had not been any reports of slips or road closures yet, it was a possibility given a heavy rain warning is in place and could be escalated from an orange to red warning.

“With the amount of rain expected to fall, floods and flash flooding can happen quickly. If you see rising water, do not wait for official warnings and head for higher ground and stay away from floodwaters,” Velvin said.

READ MORE:
* Cash better than goods for donations to Cyclone Gabrielle victims, Civil Defence says
* Red weather warnings spread as Cyclone Gabrielle hits Aotearoa
* ‘One more day’ of Cyclone Hale: Concerns shift to east coast rivers as rain set to continue

“Do not try to walk, play, swim or drive in floodwater. Even water just 15 centimetres deep can sweep you off your feet, and half a metre of water will carry away most vehicles.”

He said residents in low-lying areas and next to rivers should be prepared “to evacuate and have a grab bag of essentials ready”.

“Keep your mobile phones on and fully charged so you can receive Emergency Mobile Alerts,” Velvin said.

As a result of flooding, the Huatoki Plaza has been closed.

Meanwhile, the severe storm hitting Taranaki and the top of the South Island might be upgraded from an orange heavy rain warning to a red warning by MetService.

MetService spokesperson Andrew James said the New Plymouth airport had experienced more than 65mm of rain in the last 24 hours, as the severe weather was ongoing and could affect the country until Sunday.

“We have got a high-pressure system to the east of Aotearoa and that’s blocking [weather] systems from moving through,” James said.

The area around Taranaki Maunga chould experience 200 to 300mm of rain, and the rest of the region 70 to 120mm, with peak rates of 25 to 35mm per hour.

“And we have low pressure around the Tasman Sea and those two are combining to drag down warm air from the tropics – which is why it’s so warm right across New Zealand – and it can hold a lot of moisture than cooler air.

“So we are getting a quite significant amount of rainfall … in North Taranaki, Marlborough, Wellington and Nelson, and that continues over the next few days,” James said.

In the South Island, Marlborough and Nelson-Tasman have been experiencing heavy rain as well.

MetService has released a severe weather warning for those areas, with peak rates of 15 to 25 mm of rain per hour.

“Expect 250 to 350 mm of rain about the ranges and the Rai Valley, and 120 to 170 mm elsewhere,” MetService said.