Weather: West Coast residents face days without power as slips close highway, North Island warnings

Fresh severe weather warnings have been issued for the top of the South Island and parts of the North Island as the West Coast continues to grapple with a “significant rain event”.

MetService has just released updated severe weather warnings and watches, saying parts of the North Island are in for heavy rain and northerly gales as the front hovering over Westland makes its way northwards on Thursday evening.

An orange heavy rain warning is now in place for Tasman and Taranaki, while there is also a strong wind watch in Taranaki and Wellington and a rain watch for Northland.

The full list of watches and warnings can be found here.

Meanwhile, SH6 from Haast to Fox Glacier was closed yesterday due to a slip and a second slip this morning closed the road through to Franz Josef just before 8am. No detours are available, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said.

The Ōkārito Wharf Shed surrounded by rising waters on Tuesday morning. Photo / Ian Cooper

Some Franz Josef residents in low-lying areas have left their homes, as up to 300mm of rain has fallen in the area since yesterday, West Coast Emergency Management group controller Te Aroha Cook told RNZ.

MetServce said it had received reports of as much as 350mm of rain in the West Coast ranges.

The highest confirmed reported rainfall was 235mm at Young River in Otago.

Emergency operation centres have opened, while drivers are being warned of surface flooding, slips and high river levels.

West Coast Emergency Management is warning residents in Haast could face several days without power, as several power poles are down amid the storm.

“Three poles are down due to sea conditions, affecting customers south of Hannahs Clearing, near Haast,” West Coast Emergency Management said on social media.

“The slips are hindering our capability to access and provide fault repairs to Haast.

“We are currently investigating [getting] contractors from Cromwell to assist where possible.”

UPDATE 7:40AM, WED 10 APR
The CLOSURE has now been EXTENDED to Franz Josef due to another slip in this area. The road is CLOSED between Haast and Franz Josef. Please avoid this area or delay your journey if possible. ^SG https://t.co/VzqXXEGpvG pic.twitter.com/yMxrPuupRO

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Canterbury & West Coast (@WakaKotahiCWC) April 9, 2024

Residents brace for impact

The Herald has spoken to several residents of Haast, Ōkārito and Franz Josef, who say the storm has not shaken them from their roosts just yet.

“[West Coasters] have ducks’ feet - been there, seen that,” said Haast resident and The Hard Antler employee Neil Mason.

Mason said The Hard Antler was still operating, though there was a noticeably smaller number of customers last evening.

“[Tourists] are getting away from the West Coast left right and centre... But I live in town, so there’s no point in going anywhere. We’ll still operate, we’ll just be very, very quiet.”

Haast resident Nicki Harris said the rain had eased by about midmorning, despite some intense bouts overnight.

Harris said she had spoken to Civil Defence, who were offering aid if needed, and the local policeman was conducting welfare checks on vulnerable citizens.

“It’s more of a wait and see at the moment - the calm before the storm,” she said.

Haast School had closed for the day with pupils sent home and Harris was aware of several local hotels that had had cancellations due to the weather

The only road entrance to Ōkārito threatened by rising waters on Tuesday morning. Photo / Ian Cooper

“There’s not a lot of tourists in the town, so that’s a good thing - at this stage we still have the Haast Pass open, but if that closes then it makes it very challenging if there are still tourists in the town.”

“It has been a few years since we’ve had a major event. We’re not out of practice, but it has been a while.”

Ōkārito resident Ian Cooper said he had attended a briefing between communities from Hokitika to Haast earlier this morning and there was another planned for 3pm.

Tourists had been evacuated from the area, though the weather was not yet as bad as has been anticipated, Cooper said.

“Rivers are bank to bank, which is the main concern.”

Franz Josef resident Bret Gibson, of Glacier Plumbing and Gas, said his home was relatively high and dry, and he was not aware of any evacuations in Franz Josef at this stage.

Gibson said he had been travelling the area this morning and though some of the rivers were higher than usual, they were not “anywhere near their worst at present”.

“At the moment it’s just consistently drizzly, which is not that different to other times of the year,” he said. “I’ve certainly not got any intention to leave. It’s an event that’s not as catastrophic as predicted so far.”

Heavy rain fall expected

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the mountain areas of the Westland District around the Southern Alps had received 200-250mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

Closer to the coast, Milford Sound had received 140mm and Haast had 115mm - about half the average rainfall for the whole of April at 227mm.

Those levels were well above the typical level of 100mm that would trigger an orange warning, Makgabutlane said, and more rain was expected.

The view from above 🛰️ shows an atmospheric river along with developing low pressure.

Using satellite derived radar, we can get a sense of the rain intensity as it falls over the Tasman Sea & before it comes to NZ.

This is the rain that has yet to come.

Watch to the end 🎥. pic.twitter.com/HFK4fAzeS0

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) April 9, 2024

Niwa yesterday said river flows were forecast to become “well above normal to extremely high”.

The biggest concern was for the Waiho River. State Highway 6 crosses the Waiho at Franz Josef, with permanent signage in place at the crossing warning of sudden flooding hazards.

The river burst a stopbank in 2016, changing course and flooding homes and holiday parks in Franz Josef and forcing evacuations.

In 2019 the Waiho Bridge was destroyed during torrential rain with rough floodwaters, with the river peaking at around 8.3 metres.

The bridge over the Waiho River was washed away in 2019 during heavy rain.

The crossing reached an alert level around 9pm last night when it topped 8m and at 7am today had climbed above 8.3m.

Westland mayor Helen Lash told RNZ this morning the area was having a reprieve from the rain but everything was “very, very wet”.

Significant rain would return tonight. Preparations were under way in case an evacuation centre needed to be established and sandbags were available in Hokitika for possible flooding in the CBD, Lash said.

Niwa said yesterday river levels were forecast to peak around 6am on Thursday, with a second peak possible later that day as more rain arrived.

Westland District Council has made sandbags available to businesses and residents in areas of Hokitika identified as likely to be worst affected by surface flooding and cars causing “bow waves”.

Operations manager Erle Bencich said: “From previous experience, the streets most likely to be affected are Revell St along the beachfront, Tancred St and Sewell St.”

Westland District Council is asking drivers in Hokitika to avoid the streets marked in red to reduce waves from surface flooding affecting the surrounding properties. Photo / Westland District Council

The council has at least 500 sandbags available for use but is asking that people only take what they need to protect their properties.

Warning for drivers

NZTA is urging drivers at the top of the South Island to keep a “sharp eye” on weather and road conditions.

The transport agency said the bad weather affecting the West Coast is moving north, with MetService placing heavy rain watches for Tasman west of Motueka, the Bryant and Richmond ranges and the Rai Valley.

“This weather will affect State Highway 6, State Highway 60, and State Highway 63. Drivers using these highways must be prepared for bad weather and ensure they drive to the conditions,” NZTA said in a statement.

“Heavy rain can cause localised flooding and increases the risks of slips and rockfalls. Road users must be prepared for such hazards and take extra care while driving.

“Watch your speed and following distances and be aware that wet roads are slippery - avoid sudden braking. If visibility is poor, ensure your headlights are on so other drivers can see you.”

The agency said bad weather can close roads and highways at short notice.

‘Don’t take any chances’

Late last night, West Coast Emergency Management warned that floods and flash floods can happen quickly.

“Put safety first. Don’t take any chances. Act quickly if you see rising water. If you have an emergency call 111.”

The band of rain will move north & south over the next two days, as shown by the rolling one hour rainfall forecast.

Rain will likely expand into a larger area from Thursday morning.

From then, we'll need to also watch the upper & lower part of the South Island for impacts. pic.twitter.com/hUY71rnyN0

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) April 9, 2024

Forecasters were also keeping a close eye on other parts of the lower South Island, she said, and considering whether to upgrade watches to warnings. Those regions did not need very high rainfall totals to trigger warnings.

The widespread system will also affect the North Island, particularly northern parts, on Thursday and Friday.