Flood

NIWA data during flooding in 2021 showed Buller River had the largest river flows in New Zealand in almost 100 years.

Cabinet is yet to consider the business case for its co-funding of a $56m flood protection scheme, which was submitted last June. Westport was hit by severe flooding last February, and the July before. One of those recommendations is to develop a flood protection scheme.

A billion-dollar business that underpins the West Coast economy is under threat for want of better flood protection on the Hokitika River.

We can't make it any clearer than that." "It's curtains. "That job needed starting two to three months ago. Dooley said the proposed Hokitika River protection scheme was due to be discussed in-committee but he assured Berry "we are on to it". Berry said he could only speak on the basis of "the university of life". "Seriously, it could flood tomorrow," Berry said in a to-the-point presentation to the council's Infrastructure Governance Committee.

Civil Defence Northland is asking people between Kaiwaka and Mangawhai to stay where they are as vehicles have reportedly been sliding off the road due to ...

”The school closed an hour ago and they’re still there.” ”At the moment, it’s completely blocked heading to Kaiwaka and Wellsford.” ”One lives in Kaiwaka and the roads are closed from here. ”All these businesses are going to suffer because of the road closures.” Locals in the Mangawhai area are reporting some of the “heaviest rain they have ever seen” on social media as more wet weather batters the area. “Roads in the area have been affected by a combination of flooding, slips and trees down.

The Brynderwyns detour via Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Rd has been closed due to flooding and slips. Waka Kotahi is now advising light vehicles to detour via SH12 an.

”The school closed an hour ago and they’re still there.” It’s the third time in four weeks this has happened.” ”One lives in Kaiwaka and the roads are closed from here. Mangawhai Books and Gifts owner Scott King said his customers could not get home again. Locals in the Mangawhai area are reporting some of the “heaviest rain they have ever seen” on social media as more wet weather batters the area. ”All these businesses are going to suffer because of the road closures.”

He believes people may have lost sight of that history by the time Cyclone Gabrielle was approaching. “The last big flood happened in 1938 and generations tend ...

“I can’t speak on behalf of the council, but individually I think there will need to be some hard decisions on whether to build back in places that historically, even before the effects of climate change, flooding had impacted lives, both property and loss of life,” he said. Of those red and yellow-stickered homes so far, 23 red and 53 yellow were in Eskdale and areas of Bay View alone. Based on the photos and information he had seen from Esk Valley after Cyclone Gabrielle, Fowler said this flooding was worse than in 1938. Cyclone Bola had an effect on the area too, with Niwa recording that 30,000ha of land from Esk River to Kotemaori was very severely affected by erosion and sedimentation in the aftermath, while 25 houses and 10 fruit-pickers were evacuated. Fowler’s reflection upon the region-wide impacts of the 1938 flooding in the 2018 article was terrifyingly prescient when viewed through the lens of what the region has experienced in the past week. Historian and Hastings district councillor Michael Fowler is familiar with the history of flooding in the Esk Valley.

In a chest-deep torrent, holding on for dear life in the dark, a Hawke's Bay couple thought floodwaters had taken their horses.

“It’s hard to separate the days since it happened,” Mulinder said. it was just dark, and we couldn’t see where any of them were,” Mulinder said. “The current was strong, and I just grabbed onto him.” “But once we knew they were safe it’s kind of hit home a bit more.” trees and fridges and everything was just coming at us,” he said. so I had to let her go.” thinking the roof was going to blow off,” Josh Adamson said. It was pitch black, and he had nothing but a head lamp for light. The water was already almost chest deep. “My best horse I tried to save her,” Josh Adamson said. I kept getting up ... “We were worried the water was going to go up a bit and one of the state highways were shut, and we were hoping we would be able to get into work,” said Mulinder.

The evacuation order was issued by Hawke's Bay Emergency Management on Friday afternoon, as an orange heavy rain warning was in place for Hawke's Bay — with 150 ...

"You know, I definitely do not want to be rescuing people off the top of roofs at short notice. Head for higher ground and stay away from floodwater. So, we really just want to make sure that people are safe tonight." Act quickly if you see rising water do not wait for official warnings. "Our community is, you know, traumatised, They've been through a huge cyclone. Roadblocks will be set up by authorities.

Flood resilience in NZ and Australia can be built by retaining green areas and vegetation and improving drainage and transportation links.

Civil defence needs to conduct a structural review of the existing volunteer organisations that work in the disaster and emergency response field to identify ways to improve recruitment and retention. [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com) under a Creative Commons license. The State Emergency Services (SES) is the main agency in New South Wales responsible for flood response and management. This is a significant form of social capital, without which the current approach to flood response and management would not be possible. But both countries also need to focus on being ready for a disaster, instead of managing it after it happens. So it makes sense that Australia has now [sent disaster crews](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-17/australia-sends-disaster-crew-to-nz-death-toll-rises/101989822) to help with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. As well, there’s a need to nurture collaboration between agencies to help with sharing skills, training, data and resource management. When a flood risk becomes evident, SES volunteers go knocking on doors to check their preparedness and provide evacuation support. This included having early warning systems and evacuation protocols in place to improve community access to information and warnings. This community focus is evident with its “door-knocking kit”, which is based on a community-level vulnerability assessment. The flooding events in both countries share two key common elements. Intensifying urban development places pressure on existing drainage systems — parts of which are no longer fit for purpose.

Pan Pac Forest Products has milled timber north of Napier since 1971 and is one of many businesses refusing to be bowed by Cyclone Gabrielle.

“How we build back is key from a business continuity perspective. [kiwifruit exporter Seeka’s Gisborne packhouse](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/125700990/kiwifruit-grower-seeka-invests-in-agritech-business-fruitometry), which was back up and running and on the lookout for staff, chief executive Michael Franks said. The sites were not damaged but access to water and connectivity issues was a “major challenge,” Stove said. The silt was being tested at a laboratory to see if it was safe to work with, but no one was sure where it would be dumped and businesses needed guidance from the council, Smith said. Machinery at the plant would deteriorate if it was not cleaned of water and silt soon, and the clean-up would take a concerted effort by dozens. As of Friday morning, the site was still without power and an insurance assessor had used a torch to do a walkthrough. [Wool carpet maker Bremworth](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/129318534/plasticfree-rugs-a-step-in-the-right-direction-for-struggling-wool-industry) was another business to suffer serious cyclone damage. Comvita was waiting for insurers to assess its building and was also on the lookout for a temporary location, he said. [Conservation work at mānuka forests to provide a safeguard for kiwi](https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/300552535/conservation-work-at-mnuka-forests-to-provide-a-safeguard-for-kiwi?rm=a) [Mānuka honey company Comvita](https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/123159479/mnuka-honey-company-comvita-has-strong-start-to-new-year), David Banfield, said its Hawke’s Bay processing facility was likely to be written off due to storm damage. [Esk River](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/131299728/cyclone-gabrielle-traumatised-couple-return-to-eskdale-home-to-document-losses-for-insurers) at Whirinaki, north of Napier, could remain closed for weeks after the site was inundated by floodwaters. A preliminary assessment of the site found a small amount of physical damage, but considerable damage to electrical and mechanical equipment from water and silt.

Local authorities claim the government's water reforms will rob them of civil defence capacity. A West Coast council that has previously supported the ...

“The loss of Three Waters work could reduce the dividend by $300,000 a year. Reader donations are critical to what we do. “This funding is designed to address situations where … They share machinery, they keep the roads open. The Department of Internal Affairs has never once engaged with us over this.” “That would give the new water entity access to local knowledge about the water infrastructure in Buller and still let WestReef keep its staff, equipment and ability to provide other services to council and third parties - and respond to emergencies.” Losing the WestReef staff to the water entity will not only dismantle workforce synergies and make the council less agile in an emergency, it will deal a body blow to WestReef’s viability and council coffers, Cleine says. “When there’s an emergency they handle everything. “We don’t have a CCO so our guys in the office are the ones who know to call out the crews to raise the flood gates, check pumping systems and so on.” “Each water entity will have appropriately trained local staff who are able to respond in the event of a civil defence emergency.” “Our understanding was that only council assets and staff would transfer to the new water services entity and that CCO service providers such as WestReef would remain outside the scope. The act - passed in December - requires the transfer of CCO staff and assets to the regional water entities just as it does of councils that directly manage their water services.

The historic church, badly flooded in 1938, may have been saved from Cyclone Gabrielle because of earthquake-strengthening.

We own a bit of land down the road too, but we’re not sure what the future holds for that yet,” he said. Two services were held every month and these were attended by about a dozen people “on a good day”, Clark said. “It’s been under water, but it’s survived pretty well. This time we used steel and concrete,” he said. [Tutira ](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131271932/cyclone-gabrielle-cutoff-rural-community-turns-to-farm-airstrips-for-deliveries-of-essentials-by-plane)to Te Pohue and [Ahuriri ](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131319708/im-not-giving-up-brother-clings-to-hope-as-search-continues-10-days-after-floods)in Napier. They had to dig it all out by hand back then. The inside should be fine after a bit of a clean-up. [Cyclone Gabrielle: Traumatised couple return to Eskdale home to document losses for insurers](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/131299728/cyclone-gabrielle-traumatised-couple-return-to-eskdale-home-to-document-losses-for-insurers?rm=a) Not sure about the grounds. [Cyclone Gabrielle hit ](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300810300/cyclone-gabrielle-was-the-catastrophe-at-esk-valley-avoidable)on Tuesday. [with 2 metres of rushing water](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/131252579/extraordinary-images-capture-destruction-caused-by-cyclone-gabrielle-in-esk-valley). [havoc when it flooded last week](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131278372/in-pictures-aerial-pictures-of-esk-valley-reveal-apocalyptic-scene).

In a survey of local households carried out by Mr Docherty-Hughes, 79 per cent of respondents said they'd experienced access difficulties due to local flooding.

“When sewer flooding is reported to us, we will always attend and support clean-ups for customers. This involves site visits, a full review of any historical flooding incidents and speaking to affected customers and other flood risk agencies. A West Dunbartonshire Council spokesperson aid: "West Dunbartonshire Council is investing £500k in targeting areas of flooding with Linnvale identified as a priority site.

The devastating flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle has created heartache around the country, leading several rural Southland organisations to band ...

by trying to go in with goodwill to try and sort it out." "The neighbouring Federated Farmers provinces are the ones helping out on the ground right now, but this is going to be a long recovery and it’s going to take a lot of people going forward. "Building a farm up isn’t just a nine-to-five job, it’s a pretty big commitment and a lot of risk-taking to get it established, so you’ve got to appreciate the sacrifice a lot of these guys have made to get these farms to where they are.

Their homes left uninhabitable, some residents of Auckland's west have banded together in a call for managed retreat from flood-prone areas.

At the time, their research showed the risk of flooding was minimal. Riddell rushed home from work, but within minutes the flood waters had fully inundated their property and they needed help to swim out. Tracey Riddell and Damien Davis are staying in a friend's converted basement with their 15-year-old daughter.

West Auckland is Flooding (WAIF), an independent organisation formed by residents after the Auckland floods on January 27, is demanding the council and the ...

And we know surely that it makes no sense now for those homeowners to just rebuild in the same place. “We had half a metre of water throughout the house, all of our fences were knocked down, cars submerged, contents gone and our house was ruined ... “When we talk about managed retreat, we’re not always just talking about a buyout, that’s just one option... people might also abandon their houses, which is a burden on banks.” “My street, for example, backs onto a stream ... “The most important stakeholder is flood-affected residents. “We need to make sure the process we have got in place there is fair and transparent.” “And in other areas, we may have to make some tough calls about managed retreat and about not rebuilding in those areas,” he said. “It’s terminology that’s really not fit for purpose anymore. WAIF said the Auckland Council had a “moral obligation” to find a solution for affected residents as it had consented those properties to be built. The organisation aimed to get key stakeholders to the table to “apply pressure on the council and government”. The group says it makes no sense to repair these homes in their original place as “the rebuild must be flood-resilient”.

West Auckland homeowners who have repeatedly suffered over years of flooding are banding together to pressure central and local government to buy their ...