Cyclone Gabrielle: Waihī Beach, Pukehina centres open doors for worst night

Emergency evacuation centres, including one in Waihī Beach, opened their doors for people needing a dry, safe place to stay on Monday night.

RSA Waihī Beach was one of the emergency centres operated by local community response teams providing the bare essentials during the worst night of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Eighteen people spent Monday night at the RSA and 10 people stayed at Pongakawa Action Centre.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council Civil Defence controller Peter Watson says the decision to just open the two centres was because Waihī Beach and Pukehina were the biggest concern for potential storm surges and had the largest number of potential evacuees.

Eighteen people spent Monday night at Waihī Beach RSA sheltering from Cyclone Gabrielle.

The heavy rain and wind had arrived to the area between 10pm and 12am and high tide was around 1.30am, he says.

Doors were also open to the community for overnight stays at local marae. Otawhiwhi Marae had three people stay the night, Tuapiro Marae had 19, Te Rereatukahia Marae had 14.

Other centres operated by community response teams opened their doors — Orchard Church in Te Puke, Katikati Baptist Church and Athenree Homestead and Station.

Thankfully, the storm wasn’t as bad as they had anticipated, Peter says.

‘’We had been doing a lot of messaging [about] what the community needs to be doing and preparing to evacuate and we have been very pleased with the response to that. People have taken those messages on board and have taken them seriously.