Rotorua resident Chris Parnell set up a barrier with sandbags and tarpaulin ahead of the storm. Photo / Supplied
Residents still cleaning up after last month's flood are bracing for sleepless nights as ex-cyclone Fili hits.
MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said severe wind and heavy rain warnings were in place for Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty.
Between 90 and 110mm of rain was expected to fall between 9pm on Tuesday and 6pm on Wednesday, especially around the eastern ranges.
This was expected to peak at rates of 10 to 20mm/h on Wednesday afternoon, with severe south to southwest gales gusts likely reaching 120km/h in exposed places.
Another run down of the rain then the wind. You can catch Lewis presenting the the latest video forecasts at https://t.co/EFAUVrE4jE pic.twitter.com/qjp8SBCftn
— MetService (@MetService) April 12, 2022
East of Whakatāne would likely get damaging gusts of 130 to 140km/h in the afternoon and evening.
Rotorua resident Chris Parnell barricaded his home with sandbags and tarpaulins on Monday night.
"I use to love the sleepy sound of rain on the roof at night. Now when it rains, I don't sleep at all."
The family had a few "close calls" with the backyard flooding in the past but three weeks ago was the first time water entered the house.
He said the house had been dried out since and they were in the process of replacing carpets and creating an inventory of the damage.
They were rearranging downstairs to keep everything safe if water got in again, trying to be positive and proactive.
"I've been very busy since, looking at different ways to prevent water coming in at all."
He was concerned about the impact a second flood could have on his insurance.
"It's a frustrating thing because you're living with something that's not going to go away unless there's good spend on infrastructure."
While he appreciated the sandbags provided by the council, he said it was a plaster to the wider issue of stormwater drains that, in his view, did not work properly.
"I'd say the council can't do anything to alleviate people's fears and worries, or actually fix the problem without significant investment."
Glenholme resident Ceryn Hutin's family of four hired a skip bin to dispose of furniture and family memorabilia destroyed in the flood three weeks ago.
"I don't think we'll be sleeping much," she said of Fili's approach. She expected to get up throughout the night to check on water levels.
She said she was not as worried about this storm as the ruined carpets had been ripped out and 30cm of gib from the bottom story had been taken out, yet to be replaced.
Their washing machine also had not been replaced.
Sandbags were dropped off on Monday, having been requested from the council.
She said a council official visited the family last week, two weeks after the flood.
Hutin said they were told, "basically, we have to figure out ourselves what we're going to do".
She said the options they had were lifting the house, which was not financially viable, or building a wall - neither guaranteed to work.
She was awaiting contact from the council's consents team to discuss further options.
Huntin said the council told them the house came with a 150-year flood warning when they bought it last year after it flooded in the 2018 storm.
"That's different to having one every four years."
She was "furious to [her] core" with the council's response after the recent flood.
The family would not consider moving until their youngest left home.
"To be honest, I wouldn't want to sell a house that's going to cause problems. That's not the right thing to do."
Rotorua Lakes Council infrastructure and environment deputy chief executive Stavros Michael said $75 million was being invested in stormwater over the next 10 years.
Central and western Rotorua were among the priority areas for upgrades, which could be delivered sooner if Government funding applications were successful.
The council was waiting to hear the outcome of its applications to the Government's Infrastructure Acceleration Fund for funding totalling $100 million for stormwater investment in the priority areas.
Proposed work included the development of detention dams to manage stormwater during weather events, upgrades to the stormwater pipe networks and improvements to pump stations.
Michael said there had been an increase in the frequency and severity of rainfall events in recent years and there were areas of the city that were more prone to flooding.
"We understand the concern and anxiety this creates for affected residents and we are working towards long-term solutions that will help to lessen the risk of residential areas flooding."
He encouraged concerned residents to contact the council to discuss any immediate assistance it could provide as well as any potential viable, longer-term solutions.