Mount resident frustrated by speeding cars during flood

Vehicles drive through Mount Maunganui's flooded Links Ave on Monday, May 30, 2022. Photo / Supplied

A Mount Maunganui resident is urging motorists to drive more carefully during heavy rain after being "soaked" on her flooding street on Monday.

Tauranga had 79mm of rain from 2am to 7pm, according to MetService.

Meteorologist Fulong Lu said the rain was at its heaviest between 2pm and 3pm when 40mm fell, which he described as "very heavy".

Links Ave resident Sheryl McLay expressed frustration at drivers travelling "well in excess" of the 30km/h speed limit on the street during the downpour.

McLay, who had lived in the area for nearly 19 years, said the street flooded every seven or eight years.

Links Ave resident Sheryl McLay has lived on the street for nearly 19 years. Photo / Mead Norton

She was standing on the footpath outside her house during the "massive downpour" around 2.30pm when a car sped past leaving her drenched in water.

"I got absolutely soaked, it filled my gumboots," she said.

"My biggest concern was the speed people were going, with total disregard they had for others."

She said at one point water was moving "very fast down the road" and it reached her mid-calves at the highest level.

"The first thing I saw was the floating rubbish bins. The volume of water that came down was just massive - no drainage system was going to cope all at once."

But she said after the rain stopped the road had cleared within an hour.

Flooding on Links Ave. Photo / Supplied

Campbell Rd resident Julie Allen, who has lived on the street since 2012, said she was still recovering after Monday's flooding.

Allen said it was a "stressful" afternoon because she did not know how bad it was going to get.

During a 2013 flood, part of her garage filled with water, but she said this time no water made it inside.

She said "supportive" community members were handing out sandbags, which were put against her garage door in case heavy rain continued.

"In 2013 there was a massive flood - people were kayaking up and down the street. Yesterday was sort of the same," she said.

"It was our wheelie bin day, and they were floating around. Eventually, we could see it was starting to suck down - it's a bit of a blur really."

Before the road was closed, she said cars were driving through, creating waves that pushed water up to residents' driveways.

Vehicles drive through Mount Maunganui's flooded Links Ave on Monday, May 30, 2022. Photo / Supplied

"It is worse because it whooshes up to properties."

Although the flooding concerned Allen, she said it only happened very occasionally. She did not want to move and thought additional drains could help minimise the issue.

"This is the trouble spot. I don't want to move, I'd rather get another drain."

Tauranga City Council also reported localised flooding, including on Huia Ave and Carysfort St in Mount Maunganui.

On Monday Tauranga Fire Station senior station office Neil Brown said all resources were out dealing with incidents.

He advised people to take preventative measures when it came to heavy downpours and flooding as weather patterns were changing.

"With the amount of rain that came through, the drains couldn't cope. Check drains around your property to make sure they are not blocked.

"It's pre-planning and realising that these events are going to become more common."