Battening down for another battering

By ANNE BESTON and NZPA

Help is pouring in for flood victims in the lower North Island, amid fears that some farmers will not recover financially from one of New Zealand's worst floods.

The storm damage could increase again today with predictions of 120km/h gales from Taranaki to Wellington. Up to 80mm of rain is expected to fall in the Tararua Ranges.

Yesterday Rangitikei District Council chief executive Leigh Halstead said families had already suffered personal tragedies, including residents of Marton, Raetihi, Hunterville and outlying rural areas, and needed Government help.

"Some Turakina farmers have lost everything - buildings, stock, crops, fencing - and face financial ruin. We need to find solutions for these people, and Government support will help ease the burden."

The Government - ridiculed for offering $20,000 this week - says it is still working out the full cost of its disaster relief package.

Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins said yesterday that it would run into millions of dollars.

TVNZ's Holmes show and Telecom reported $700,000 of phone donations.

A New Zealand Red Cross appeal had raised more than $20,000.

Agribusiness Wrightson donated $150,000 of goods to farmers.

The Bank of New Zealand donated $25,000 and the ANZ $50,000.

The country's largest insurer, IAG, which has the State and NZI brands, waived excesses on domestic policies for flood-stricken families. It reported receiving 3500 claims - and expected more.

Federated Farmers and Farmers Trading Company were also raising money and donations were being made to mayoral funds.

The wild weather struck again on Thursday night and yesterday, with road closures near Wellington and trees and power poles blown down in Hamilton.

A pohutukawa tree fell on a house in the east Auckland suburb of Bucklands Beach and a small tornado ripped through the Manukau suburb of Ardmore.


Many roads in the lower North Island remained closed last night, including the Manawatu Gorge and State Highway 4 between Wanganui and Raetahi.

The main trunk rail line between Auckland and Wellington was still closed but the Auckland-Palmerston North line is due to re-open by noon today.

Freight trains will then run to Wellington via the Wairarapa.

Passenger services between Auckland and Wellington have been suspended until next week.

Last night temporary gas supplies were restored to Hawkes Bay after the storm damaged the pipeline.

North of Upper Hutt at Featherston, the Tauherenikau River began flooding after heavy bursts of rain. Fire crews sandbagged shops and homes to minimise damage. A home outside the town was flooded.

Downed power poles cut power to 1000 Hamilton residents for an hour.

A 16-year-old Hamilton boy escaped serious injury when an oak tree was blown on to a block of Hamilton flats, smashing through a window near where he was sleeping and showering him with glass.

Back in some of the worst flood-stricken areas, residents were learning whether they could return to damaged homes.

In the South Taranki township of Waitotara, completely evacuated at the height of the floods, three houses and possibly a further two were condemned.

Ten are described as being habitable and 35 need major repairs.

In the town of Feilding, running water has been restored to 80 per cent of 5000 affected households.

Meanwhile, the bad weather shows no sign of letting up.

MetService said another front would reach Marlborough and the southern half of the North Island this morning, bringing gale-force winds ahead of yet more rain.