Clean-up starts as East Coast weighs damage

The task of cleaning up the East Coast started yesterday after a one-in-100-year storm left large areas covered in silt.

Fine weather allowed Civil Defence teams into affected areas yesterday to assess the damage.

Former Gisborne mayor John Clarke, who is managing the recovery effort, said the hardest hit of the flat areas around Gisborne was farmland next to the Waipaoa River.

Gisborne and areas to the north were hit by heavy rain on Friday and Saturday which closed roads, cut power and forced about 50 people from their homes.

It was heaviest at Hikuwai, near Tokomaru Bay, where more than 300mm fell on Friday alone.

Mr Clarke said much of the water had drained away but had left significant damage to fences and crops.

"Being the time of the year it is, there are a lot of crops that have already been planted."

Some areas of sweetcorn, squash, maize and broccoli might have to be replanted depending on how quickly the remaining water receded.

"If there's fine weather, a lot more of it will disappear."

It was too early to estimate the cost of the damage until farmers had done their own assessments, Mr Clarke said.

Cropping farmer Richard Burke said damage to crops was severe in places.

He worked on several leased farms, including a 140ha block next to the Waipaoa River that was covered in 2m of water.

"The water came right over the stopbank."

He said it would take a month in some places before crops could be replanted.

Gisborne Civil Defence officer Richard Steele said the damage to towns on coast was not as bad as first thought.

"It could have been a lot worse." He said there was a lot of mud on the ground, but much of the water had drained away.

The area worst hit was north of Tolaga Bay. Six houses had been damaged by floodwaters and silt, and two were still cut off by slips in the Mangatokerau Valley.

None of the houses were destroyed and most of the 50 people who evacuated were able to return home.

The residents of the two houses cut off were in temporary accommodation.

Mr Steele said the roads were still impassable in places. The road north of Ruatoria is expected to be closed for at least a week.

But fears that the flooding had caused damage as bad as that of Cyclone Bola were unrealised.

"The rivers got as high as Bola, but not as much water came out of them," he said.

The flooding closed the three main roads into Gisborne, including State Highway 2 from Napier, which was not reopened until midday yesterday.

The others reopened earlier with warnings for motorists to take extreme care because of slips and surface water.

Organisers of the Gisborne Wine and Food Festival were relieved when access to the city was restored and the day dawned clear yesterday.

The flooding had threatened the event, which was attended by 4000 people, many from out of town.

Most were able to make it to the festival in time, but the closure of the Gisborne-Napier road until noon forced some to take alternative routes or transport.

Margaret Mettner of Gisborne Information Centre said several carloads of people had driven via Lake Waikaremoana and one group had chartered a plane to ensure they did not miss out.

"One way or another most of them have managed to get here."

Ms Mettner said other than one vineyard moving its venue into town because of wet paddocks, the festival went off flawlessly.

"It couldn't be better. It's just a little soggy underfoot."