The deluge saw 242mm of rainfall in a day, causing significant damage to houses, buildings and land. Photo / Supplied
The deluge saw 242mm of rainfall in a day, causing significant damage to houses, buildings and land. Photo / Supplied
Six months after Napier suffered the second-wettest day on record, three-quarters of insurance claims are settled.
The deluge on November 9, 2020, which saw 242mm of rainfall in a day, caused significant damage to houses, buildings and land, with a local state of emergency declared.
Half a year later, 75per cent of the insurance claims on damaged properties in Napier are settled, according to Napier mayor Kirsten Wise.
She said there are still a "small number of complex situations" on Napier Hill being dealt with by the Earthquake Commission (EQC).
Chris Dale, whose Havelock Rd home was damaged after a 3m-high, 10m-long retaining wall crashed into his house, reached a settlement with EQC.
Chris Dale, of Havelock Rd, has reached a settlement with EQC. Photo / Paul Taylor
Dale, who's lived at the property for 12 years, said although the ordeal has been "traumatic", he will end up better off than before the floods.
"You wouldn't know properties are still damaged as you can't see it from the street. But there is plenty of light at the end of the tunnel.
"I've got to put a substantial new retaining wall in, so out of that I'm putting in a big deck over the top and changing my outdoor living for the better."
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment national manager temporary accommodation service (TAS), Al Bruce, said 30 households remain in the TAS supply.
"TAS has placed eight portable cabins on four of the households' properties and the remainder are in accommodation at Kennedy Park Resort," he said.
"When a household returns to their home depends on a case-by-case basis; TAS works with each household to determine the best long-term solution for their situation."
According to Wise, one council facility is still affected - the Rodney Green Centennial Event Centre.
The venue's special floor needs replacing, requiring materials from overseas. As a result, it is not expected to fully reopen until early 2022.
The Onslow steps remain closed because are they are "unstable", with redesign work underway for the area. Photo / Warren Buckland
Several sets of steps on Napier Hill and two Napier roads - Karaka Rd and Hooker Ave – also remain affected.
The Onslow steps remain closed because are they are "unstable", with redesign work under way for the area. Once the design is complete, reconstruction can begin.
"We expect to have this work completed in late 2021," Wise said.
Napier mayor Kirsten Wise said 75 per cent of the insurance claims on damaged properties in Napier are settled. Photo / Paul Taylor
Repair completion dates are not yet known for the Fitzroy and May Ave-Faraday steps.
"The Tiffen steps need some minor remedial work done, but are open and assessed as safe to use," she added.
Wise said the Napier community reacted in a traditional Kiwi fashion, "looking out for each other, helping their neighbours and banding together in response and recovery".
On Barker Rd, Marewa, Tracey Tasovac moved back into her home just a month ago after spending five months living with family friends while repairs were done.
Tasovac said she will never forget the water streaming through her house on November 9.
"It was coming in the front door, the back door, through the roof, we had a waterfall in the washhouse and then it was just coming up through the floor," she told RNZ.
"The hallway was just absolute sewage coming up through the floor."
Tasovac says she had been told she would be back in her Marewa home by the end of February, but delays in finding a painter, waiting on a new kitchen and reinsulating extended her stay away from her house.
Wise said that as with any emergency situation, there's always room for improvement.
"We review our systems and structures and ensure we know what went well and what could be improved. This process is ongoing."
