Central Hawke's Bay residents urged to act with caution and keep up to date

The Tukituki River broke its banks and inundated the newly constructed cycleway at Waipukurau yesterday.

With more than half of Central Hawke's Bay residents soon needing to boil their drinking water and further rain and wind forecast in the next 24 hours, Central Hawke's Bay District Council's Emergency Operations Centre is urging people to act with caution and keep up to date with the rapidly changing local situation.

Central Hawke's Bay has experienced severe flooding since early Thursday morning, with rivers reaching one-in-50-year flood levels.

A further 100mm of rain is forecast over the next 24 hours and strong winds are expected to make driving conditions worse, with fallen trees particularly in coastal areas.

Residents in Waipawa and Otane are also being asked to conserve water, with a boil water notice in place for Waipukurau, which is likely to be extended to Waipawa and Otane as the river water quality continues to deteriorate.

Residents are also encouraged to not "rush to flush" in Otane, Waipawa and Waipukurau as wastewater plants become overwhelmed with floodwaters.

"People need to be prepared and take the warnings seriously," says Mayor Alex Walker.

"Staying up to date with the latest information is the best thing people can do.

"Things are rapidly changing, and we urge people to follow our Facebook page, website and listen to CentralFM for the latest updates."

With a boil water notice in place for Waipukurau, free potable water is available for residents at Russell Park.

Residents are encouraged to stay away from floodwaters due to potential contamination and to take notice of road closure signs, with damage likely to the road and bridge structures in rural areas unknown until floodwater recedes.

"We've already seen the loss of the Tarewa Bridge, part of the Tukituki Trails, from this weather event, and we can expect to find more damage and resulting clean-up work, particularly in our rural areas as floodwaters recede," says Mayor Walker.

"We are a strong and connected community and I encourage people to continue looking out for each other and our neighbour in the way we're known for."

For updates head to the council's Facebook page @chbdistrictcouncil or council's website www.chbdc.govt.nz