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Search and rescue teams are responding to reports that a person is trapped inside their house after a landslide hit the property early this morning.
Fire and Emergency say they were told about a landslide at a house in Pūtōrino, Hawke’s Bay, at 7.19am.
Acting district manager Glen Vercoe said: “One person has been reported as trapped and Fire and Emergency has been unable to determine the status of this person.
“Local brigades have been unable to access the property to carry out a rescue.”
A helicopter and members of the local Urban Search and Rescue team have been sent to the area. However, FENZ personnel are still working to assess just how widespread the damage is.
“It is unclear yet how many houses have been affected. This is an ongoing situation and we are monitoring it closely.”
Vercoe acknowledged it had been a busy time for fire crews over the last 12 hours or so.
Up to 366 storm-related incidents in the Hawke’s Bay were reported and included a number of rescues.
In one call-out, firefighters responded to multiple people trapped in vehicles on State Highway 5, as well as homes.
Just after 12pm, Vercoe said: “People are still trapped awaiting rescue in Puketapu. There are also many houses flooded in Eskdale and Whirinaki which can’t be reached by road at this stage.”
Lew Woods and Pauline Stephenson had just minutes to grab what they could and leave their Waipukurau home this morning.
“I looked out at 5am and it was bone dry” said Pauline, “so I went back to bed.”
An hour later she woke to a banging on the door.
“It was a firefighter. He said ‘don’t open the door, open a window’.
“The water was bubbling up through the bathroom, we chucked what we could in bags - I couldn’t even tell you what I’ve packed. We took the dog and the cats, we had to leave our car - it was underwater.
”I don’t know what we’re going home to.”
Woods and Stephenson were taken to the Waipukurau evacuation centre at the Centralines Stadium, where ragdoll kittens Mollie and Coco sat cuddled on Woods’ lap oblivious to the drama, and Benji the dog sat at his feet, wet from an early morning swim in nearly a metre of floodwater.
Stephenson said “The firefighters were amazing. Honestly, they deserve a medal.”
Police were clearing bystanders from the Waipawa River bridge on SH2 as floodwaters breached the town’s stopbanks and poured down Harker St, while the nearby BP petrol station faced queues of motorists getting fuel and emergency supplies - most of them evacuees from the riverside “lower Waipawa” streets which were being inundated with floodwaters.
Civil Defence, CHB District Council and emergency services were going door to door and streams of traffic were leaving the low-lying areas.
Several were on foot leading ponies from lifestyle blocks along the river’s edge.
One woman leading a small wet pony tearfully said “I had to leave my other pets - my rabbits, my chooks. My place was flooding and I wasn’t allowed to go back in for them.”
Meanwhile, Hawke’s Bay residents may be without electricity for days or even weeks, Transpower has warned.
Transpower has declared a “grid emergency” after Cyclone Gabrielle cut power to Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.
“The outage is a result of flooding to the Redclyffe substation following extreme weather from Cyclone Gabrielle,” the company said. “The Unison and Eastland networks that distribute electricity to the region are currently down.
“Due to the current situation, we are not able to receive comms from Redclyffe substation, but it is likely it is underwater. We cannot access the site but have a helicopter on standby for further investigation when possible.
“Apologies to all who are affected. Unfortunately, until we are able to gain access to the substation, we will not have a clear picture of how long the region will be without power. However, we are advising that the community should be prepared to be without power for days to weeks, rather than hours.
Residents of multiple Napier suburbs have been told to “evacuate immediately” and “go immediately to your nearest hill” as flooding in Hawke’s Bay continues to worsen.
Residents should take grab bags and animals and escape flood zones right now, Civil Defence have warned as the crisis in the Hawke’s Bay reaches breaking point.
Emergency crews are rushing to get to people stranded on roofs in Hawke’s Bay - including dozens of orchard workers caught up in the heavy flooding.
They are also working to rescue people at Atawhai Retirement Village in Taradale.
But many are questioning how to evacuate to safety with multiple bridges closed across the region. Residents are also taking to social media to ask about rescue efforts in affected areas, saying they have been unable to contact loved ones in flood zones for hours.
Others say they didn’t receive an emergency alert on their phones - or received them too late.
A State of Emergency has been extended to the entirety of the Hawke’s Bay region as evacuations take place in every district and city due to Cyclone Gabrielle.
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence has called for Waiohiki, Omahu, Taradale, Jervoistown and Meeanee (south and east of Anderson Park) residents to immediately evacuate the area.
Residents in the lower Waipawa area are also being evacuated as a precaution due to the increasing levels of the Waipawa River.
Not only has the region been hit with heavy flooding, but power, phone coverage, and internet are down or patchy in most areas.
Transpower NZ have lost supply of electricity which has affected all of Napier and some of Hastings this morning.
Transpower has warned of extended power outages in Hawke’s Bay, saying the outage can be expected to last until at least 6pm. Redclyffe, Whakatu, Tuai, Fernhill are impacted.
Many locals are also without cellphone coverage or mobile data due to damaged lines.
Chorus said two fibre lines are damaged in the eastern part of the North Island - the Taupo to Napier line and one running across the north of the region. This is affecting mobile coverage in the Hawke’s Bay region for all providers on top of the power situation, said Telecommunications Forum spokesman Paul Brislen.
“Teams are working to locate the fault or faults on the line but this work is hampered both by the weather and by access to the lines. Staff safety is of paramount concern in such situations so the teams will be proceeding carefully.
“Customers are advised to keep their mobile devices charged if possible and minimise their use for non-essential communications. Calls to 111 are prioritised across the mobile networks so if you have coverage, even from another provider, you should be able to make an emergency call.”
Posts on social media shows some areas have been hit so hard by flooding that water has reached the roof lines of a number of buildings.
One video shows orchard workers perched on the roofs of the buildings with the water mere centimetres below.
The orchard is on the banks of the Tutaekuri River in Hawke’s Bay.
Meanwhile a part of the Puketapu Bridge has been washed away by floodwaters, while the most affected area appears to be the Esk Valley, where homes are underwater. All residents of Rissington were evacuated overnight.
Clifton is cut off, with river banks burst and manhole covers erupting with wastewater.
A dramatic video posted to Facebook shows the one-way Brookfields Bridge washing away as it becomes overwhelmed by floodwaters.
River levels across the region are very high and people should stay away from them, Civil Defence has warned. Heavy rain has filled the Mangarau detention dam in Havelock North, with the excess flowing into the Mangarau Stream.
Residents will notice higher flows than usual in the stream and are being asked to stay away from it. The Waiohiki Bridge is closed and the Tutaekuri River is breaching its stop banks; residents are being asked to stay away from it.
People were seen walking out of floodwaters on Links Rd, between Napier and Hastings in Hawke’s Bay, where a torrent of water caught several people by surprise.
Fire and Emergency acting district manager Glen Varcoe said firefighters were working very hard responding to incidents across Hawke’s Bay.
In the last 12 hours, Fire and Emergency has logged 366 storm-related incidents in the region, including rescues.
Multiple people on SH5 in Hawke’s Bay were trapped in vehicles and in houses and have been rescued. People are still trapped and awaiting rescue in Puketapu, Varcoe said.
There are also many houses flooded in Eskdale and Whirinaki which can’t be reached by road at this stage.
At 7.19am, Fire and Emergency was called to a landslide at a home in Putorino, Hawke’s Bay. One person has been reported as trapped and Fire and Emergency has been unable to determine the status of this person.
Local brigades have been unable to access the property to carry out a rescue. Fire and Emergency has deployed a local Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team with equipment by helicopter.
“Fire and Emergency personnel are currently assessing how widespread the damage is. It is unclear yet how many houses have been affected. This is an ongoing situation and we are monitoring it closely.”
A temporary emergency department has been set up in Napier so anyone needing medical assistance won’t need to travel to Hastings.
It has been set up at Napier Health Centre on Wellesley Rd near Pak’n Save.
A call has also been made to any doctors and nurses who can help at that facility.
”If you’re a nurse or doctor in Napier with appropriate clinical skills and can travel safely, please make your way to Napier Health Centre to assist,” a statement from Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay said.
Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s ED and Napier Health Centre are both open but people are asked to leave them for medical emergencies.
Damage to the Esk River Bridge on State Highway 2 north of Bay View (which was put under speed restrictions in 2022 due to its age and condition) and the Puketapu Bridge has made both impassable.
Waka Kotahi said in its latest traffic bulletin that SH2 Napier to Gisborne and SH5 Napier to Taupō remained closed due to large amounts of surface flooding, slips and debris and possible flooding.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the most important thing was to keep the community safe.
“There are areas of Napier and Hastings that have been impacted worse than others and this declaration will enable councils and emergency services to act swiftly,” Wise said.
Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said residents must heed police and Civil Defence messaging. “The most important thing is that we all stay safe. If you’re able, shelter in place, if there is danger call 111 immediately.”
A Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesperson said the key message was to stay home and conserve water.
”Stay safe, stay home and stay off the roads, and limit water use.”
Meanwhile, a worker responding to the emergency, who did not want to be named, said he ended up in waist-deep floodwaters on SH51 at Awatoto on Tuesday morning about 4.30am.
”In a moment the car was fully submerged and I had to abandon it.”
He was helped by other motorists.
Hastings and Napier residents are asked to reduce water use as much as possible as the storm has inundated the waste water network.
Water should be used for drinking and personal washing only, Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management said.
Do not use dishwashers or washing machines, and avoid showering if possible.
The issue is causing toilets to back up. Teams are across the district working to keep the network as clear as possible.
Hastings District Council said on their Facebook page that the Whirinaki/Esk and Te Pohue water supplies had lost power.
The post said there is water in the reservoirs, but it needs to last as long as possible.
GoBay Hawke’s Bay has confirmed there will be no bus services running on Tuesday morning in a post on Facebook.
”With many streets flooded or blocked, and rising river levels - road conditions are not safe,” the post said.
”We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you up to date on whether services can safely resume this afternoon.”
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council reminded residents with water tanks to take extra care with their water, boiling it for 2-3 minutes before use.
Many roads in Napier have been blocked or closed overnight due to flooding or fallen trees.
Napier City council said roads that were closed as of 6am on Tuesday included:
- Shakespeare Road (France to Battery) - Fallen Tree
Russell Road (Storkey to Latham) - Fallen Tree
Burns Road (Napier Tce to Lambton) - Fallen TreeSpencer Road (Main to Napier Tce) - Fallen Tree
Awatoto Road (Meeanee to Eriksen) - Fallen Tree
Geddis Avenue (Bledisloe to Lister) - Fallen Tree and power lines
France Road (both ways full length ) - Fallen branch
There are trees down at the intersection of Meeanee Road/Powderell Road/Tannery Road and at the intersection of Awatoto Road/Meeanee Road, but both are passable with extreme care.
Infomation on residents’ access can be found on the Napier City Council website or Facebook page.
Centralines Sports Complex Waipukurau, River Terrace (entrance by Scouts Hall)
CHB Municipal Theatre Waipawa, Kenilworth St
Tikokino Town Hall, Owen St
Pōrangahau Town Hall, Abercrombie St
- A note for our subscribers -
Our paper was printed last night but the extreme conditions out there this morning mean it is too dangerous for our delivery drivers to try to get to you. We are getting papers to as many retail centres as is safe to do so. Subscribers will be automatically credited. We apologise for the inconvenience. Stay safe, and keep up to date with your news at hbtoday.co.nz. We’re doing our best to bring you all the details.
Chris Hyde
Hawke’s Bay Today editor
'It gets dark at 5pm. It’s a perfect chance for parents to bring their kids.'