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Home / New Zealand

Rotorua Life Pharmacy declared a disaster after 'spectacular' deluge in Sunday's storm

Katee Shanks
By
Katee Shanks
30 Apr, 2018 12:34 AM2 mins to read
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Elke Semple inspects the damage at Life Pharmacy. Photo / Stephen Parker

Elke Semple inspects the damage at Life Pharmacy. Photo / Stephen Parker

Life Pharmacy Rotorua owner Brett Fordyce could only stand and stare as his Central Mall store became submerged by a waterfall that poured in through the ceiling and washed out the back door.

Fordyce had gone to the store on Sunday morning and discovered a couple of ceiling tiles had fallen down and there was a little bit of water on the floor.

"I thought 'I can work with that' and started cleaning before we opened the doors," he said.

"But within minutes more ceiling tiles started peeling off the roof and then the deluge of water happened."

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He said it rushed in through the top and flowed out the back "like a river".

Flooding in Rotorua. Cormac Davis, 12, .  Moncur Dr. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Kuirau Park.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Rotorua Boys' High School. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Tony McClaughlin. Moncur dr.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Bryce Morrison. Waikite clubrooms. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Tarewa Rd. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Lake Rd. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Kaylee Browne outside her home on Lake Rd. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Lakefront.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Tarewa Rd.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Te Ngae Rd. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Byron Grove. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding in Rotorua. Kaylee Browne inside her home on Lake Rd. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding on Pioneer Rd in Ngongotaha.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding on Pioneer Rd in Ngongotaha. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding on Pioneer Rd in Ngongotaha. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding on Western Rd.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding on Pioneer Rd. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding on Pioneer Rd.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding at the Agrodome.   Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding at Agrodome. Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding on Elizabeth St.   Photo/Ben Fraser
Flooding on Elizabeth St.   Photo/Ben Fraser
Savannah Rogers, 11. Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Savannah Rogers, 11. Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Brooke Ellis with her children Lexus Rogers, 8, and Savannah Rogers, 11. Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Elke Semple. Life Pharmacy. Flooding.Photo/Stephen Parker
Civil Defence controller Bruce Horne, Minister of Civil Defence Kris Faafoi and Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick at a press stand up in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Debbie Parry, right and Alison. Flooding in Ngongotaha.  Photo/Stephen Parker
Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Troy Parry. Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Heidi Te Are. Flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Jenny Pollard beside her caravan which had been moved by flooding in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
John Healey's flooded house in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
John Healey's flooded house in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Flooding clean-up in Ngongotaha. Alex Cookson and Glenn Armstrong. Photo/Stephen Parker
Craig Kusabs, left, and Colin Tremain. Tumunui tomo that formed on farmland. The hole on Tumunui South Farm is 200m long and 20m deep. Photo/Stephen Parker
Matt Ward at his property in Paradise Valley. Flooding clean-up. Photo/Stephen Parker-
Colin Tremain, left, and Craig Kusabs. Tumunui tomo that formed on farmland. The hole on Tumunui South Farm is 200m long and 20m deep. Photo/Stephen Parker
Daniel Voss. Flooding clean-up in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker -
Kjell and Rebecca Gudmundsen. Flooding clean-up in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Peter Spencer says this drain should have been clearing water, instead it's where the flood waters came from. Flooding clean-up in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Craig Kusabs, left, and Colin Tremain. Tumunui tomo that formed on farmland. The hole on Tumunui South Farm is 200m long and 20m deep.Photo/Stephen Parker
Flooding clean-up on Brookdale Drive in Ngongotaha. Photo/Stephen Parker
Craig Kusabs, left, and Colin Tremain. Tumunui tomo that formed on farmland. The hole on Tumunui South Farm is 200m long and 20m deep. Photo/ Stephen Parker
Steve Brake says he wouldn't consider living anywhere else.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Miriam Hewson says the family doesn't expect to be back in their Oakland Pl house till summer.  Photo/Ben Fraser
Male lion Xander had a bit of fun in his enclosure's new water feature, leaping to an "island" at Paradise Valley Springs. PHOTO / SUPPLIED
Rotorua Duck Tours help.
Medical Officer of Health for Toi Te Ora Public Health Dr Phil Shoemack, (right), and Acting Civil Defence controller Bruce Horne have delivered a flood recovery update from the Rotorua Lakes Council .

Image 1 of 61: Flooding in Rotorua. Cormac Davis, 12, . Moncur Dr. Photo/Ben Fraser

"I turned the lights off as they had started to spark but, aside from that, there wasn't really much else to be done other than watch."

From what he understood, water had leaked into the ceiling cavity of the mall.

"Once there it had soaked the porous ceiling tiles which had eventually become too heavy and dropped.

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"It was quite spectacular watching it all happen."

Fordyce described the store as a disaster.

"We have managed to open the dispensary today but I'd say the clean-up is going to take at least a week."

He said a high percentage of the store's stock was damaged and would have to be dumped, the shelves all needed checking and then staff would have to restock.

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"At the end of the day, what's done is done. You can't really say too much more or lay blame for what was a natural event."

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