Road between Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki to be assessed for reopening
Photo:
Pretoria Gordon / RNZ
Authorities hope to reopen the road between Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki this morning after flooding and slips closed multiple roads in the area overnight.
Heavy rain also prompted a boil water notice for residents of Rūātoki and the council warned tsunami surges from the Kamchatka earthquake could worsen flooding in some areas.
Whakatāne District Council local controller Nicholas Woodley told RNZ the roads would be checked once it was light.
"We will assess them because once the roads have been flooded as well as having silt and other debris on them, we actually need to check they haven't been undermined, that they are safe to travel on," he said.
Woodley said more than 200mm of rain fell on the district in nearly 24-hours, most of it on Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night.
He said schools in the town sent their Ōpōtiki students home early on Wednesday when it became apparent roads might close later in the day, but some people who lived in Ōpōtiki were stuck in Whakatāne overnight.
Woodley said people were encouraged to stay with friends or family but the council fielded multiple calls from people who needed help finding accommodation last night.
Meanwhile, the council warned residents of Rūātoki their water treatment plant was not working effectively due to the heavy rain, and they should boil water for three minutes before using it for drinking, food preparation or brushing teeth.
On Wednesday evening the council's Facebook page summarised the combination of events: "We've got a tsunami advisory, communities cut off, road closures, and there could be more road closures to come... If it's not one thing, it's a tsunami."
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