Heavy rain caused surface flooding in Flaxmere, with 20mm falling in one hour, and residents moving cars and clearing drains to prevent water damage.
Heavy rain caused surface flooding in Flaxmere, with 20mm falling in one hour, and residents moving cars and clearing drains to prevent water damage.
A burst of heavy rain and thunderstorms caused surface flooding in parts of Flaxmere last night, with residents moving cars and clearing drains to stop water reaching their homes.
MetService recorded almost 20mm of rain in just one hour between 10pm and 11pm.
Hastings District Council (HDC) said peak rainfallwas twice what the stormwater system was designed to cope with, but a project is underway to upgrade the infrastructure system.
Flaxmere resident Paige Palmer noticed the flooding about 11pm at her Peterhead Ave home.
“It would’ve damaged my car if I hadn’t moved it because it’s lowered. My partner had to move his, and it’s not modified.”
She said this kind of flooding had happened on the street before.
Regan Munro, who lives at Flaxmere Ave, between Chatham Rd and Margate Ave, said flooding was a recurring issue.
“It always floods and nothing gets done. More houses are built, but they don’t upgrade the stormwater [system].
“I’ve lived here 14 years, and floods like this happen about every two years.”
There was no damage to his property, but the water rose high enough to leave visible marks beyond the fence line.
Regan Munro said the water rose high enough to leave visible marks beyond the fence line at his Flaxmere address.
A HDC spokesperson said several housing developments are currently underway in Flaxmere, and plans are in place to upgrade infrastructure systems.
“For stormwater, Council has a project underway in Flaxmere now – installing a 900mm stormwater pipe (additional to the existing 1.2m pipe in the same area) and a 23,000 cubic metre stormwater detention pond," the spokesperson said.
“The project is due to be completed in April.”
Hastings district councillor Siiam Daniel, who lives within the Sunderland Drive and Dundee Drive area, said the downpour was short but intense.
“Around 10.50pm, my nephew and I decided to check these drains and clear any visible debris where it was safe to do so.
“I also contacted HDC’s after-hours service and was advised road teams were already en route to affected areas.”
He said water receded quickly once the drains were cleared.
“Within about 10 minutes, reports came through again that surface flooding had started to subside in areas, and I visibly could see the surface flooding down Sunderland and Dundee had cleared.”
HDC Three Waters manager Steve Cave said stormwater and transport contractors were deployed in response to eight reported issues.
“It was the sheer amount of rainfall over a very short period that resulted in surface flooding,” Cave said.
“Council is doing spot checks on the stormwater network and completing a post-heavy rain inspection of the HN [Havelock North] dams and streams,” Cave said.
“The best thing residents can do, on a regular basis, is to ensure the gutters on their homes are clear and let council know of any concerns with the network.”
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the Hastings weather station, in Flaxmere, recorded 24mm of rain between 8pm and 1am, with most of it falling in a single hour.
A line of heavy showers moved directly across the area, accompanied by significant lightning activity, she said.
“Any time when there’s been recent heavy rainfall, it’s always good for people in the area to be extra careful when further showers are possible on already sodden ground.
“The weekend sees plenty of cloudy and cool weather, with a few showers also possible, though less of a chance of them being heavy.”
