Heavy falls keep road crews busy

Motu Falls, Screengrab off Iphone video taken by Liam Clayton

Substantial falls of rain were dumped across the region in the three days up to last night — the biggest of those 340 millimetres-plus on parts of the East Coast.

The MetService lifted the heavy rain warning and heavy rain watch for Gisborne at 8.05pm last night.

The regional roading network held up well in the wet weather and the highways and rural roads remained open, despite slips and washouts in places.

SH35 at the Tolaga Bay gorge was one spot with slip issues.

There was some surface flooding on the Coast highway at Te Puia yesterday but it stayed open, and the Tauwhareparae Road at the 20-kilometre mark had a slip issue and was partially blocked.

“Our crews were busy over the weekend with a number of callouts on the State Highways,” said NZTA network and journey manager Helen Harris.

“We were well-planned and prepared for what eventuated.

“Right up the top of the Cape near Potaka we had a road closure for a few hours.

“The crews did an amazing job clearing that slip up only to have another open up just near the original site.”

The council also had a busy weekend on rural roads.

“We had minor slips repaired on Tiniroto, Mata, Waikura and Tauwhareparae roads. We also have a crew en route to Moanui Road to repair a slip,” a council spokesman said this morning.

“Thank you to all the crews who are busy monitoring and clearing the roads.

“We have no road closures in place due to the severe weather or slips at this time,” he said.

“We have rain forecast every day of this week so disruptions to planned works are likely, and we ask everyone to please drive to the conditions and take care out there.”

The emergency sewer valve at the Gladstone Road Bridge opened at 5am on Saturday due to stormwater inundation, and remained open until 10.30am this morning.

The usual health warnings have been issued by the council.

The GDC rainfall gauges across the region produced some large readings across the three days of the weather event.

Waikura Valley topscored with 346mm up to 7am this morning, followed closely by Rip Station inland from Ruatoria at 343mm.

Other big totals were at Arowhana 176mm, Fernside 203, Hikuwai 190, Mata 210, Pakihiroa 209, Poroporo 200, Puketawa 178, Puketoro 224, Ruatoria township 214, Te Puia 246, Wharekahika at Hicks Bay and Wharerata 164.

Gisborne city received around 100mm, Waipaoa 102, Wharekopae 100, Waimata 134, Waerenga-o-Kuri 114, Pouawa 124, Matawai 105, Mangapoike 126, East Cape Lighthouse 123, Ngatapa 85mm.