Flooding causes a hasty exit

Jess Wilson, Michael Wilson, and Andre Van Schalkwyk prepare to move gear out of their Riverland Park homes.

Residents along Anzac Parade were hastily packing clothes, TV sets, soft toys and food as they evacuated their homes yesterday at 4pm.

The residents were told to leave after Whanganui River levels became dangerously high.

Kathleen Thompson and her three children had only moved into their Anzac Parade house a week ago.

Ms Thompson said she and her children had moved up from Wellington a few months ago to a house in Gonville.

"But we were burgled seven times and I decided to move over to the east side of Wanganui and we really only just moved in."

The family were now off to the other side of town to stay at Ms Thompson's mother's house in Titoki St.

At Riverland Park, adjacent to the Dublin St bridge, owner Michael Wilson said he had received a phone call from the council to pack up his go karts, boats, mini golf equipment and workshop tools and get out.

"I was lucky I had people here who helped me pack up all the equipment ... there's a lots of stuff here."

Mr Wilson said until he got the phone call from the council you wouldn't have known anything was happening.

"Really, local radio should have been making announcements."

The emergency came after significant rainfall in Tongariro National Park and the eastern hills of Taranaki.

The flood peak of an expected just under 9m hit the Wanganui urban area last night, sparking evacuations in Anzac Pde, Putiki, and Taupo Quay. The Wanganui Chronicle building was evacuated at 6pm.

Other rivers in the area also rose rapidly, including the Whangaehu, Waitotara and Mangawhero.

The Waitotara River peaked at 10m and residents in the Waitotara township were warned to be prepared for flooding.

The Matarawa Stream, which runs through Wanganui East, was rising yesterday afternoon at a rate of half a metre per hour and was being sandbagged around the Matarawa Stream bridge.

A Wanganui District Council spokesperson said there was raw sewage flowing into the stream and people should keep well clear of the stream for the next few days.

State Highway 4 from Wanganui to Raetihi was closed due to slips and SH3 at Whangaehu was expected to be closed by flooding from the Whangaehu River about 8pm last night.

Horizons Regional Council activated its emergency operations centre yesterday and the temporary flood barrier was raised at Balgownie.

Nearly 40mm of rain fell in Wanganui yesterday between midnight and 2pm. The effects of the heavy rain were already being felt throughout the district yesterday.

Cypress Place resident Wade Monteba said it was the worst flooding he had ever seen in the street, which floods regularly.

At Cullinane College, staff - including principal Kevin Shore - were busy trying to pump water out of the school gym, which was inundated by a normally small creek that runs at the back of the school.

At midday yesterday Pipiriki locals Josephine and Ken Howarth said Whanganui River was already at 12m, and still rising visibly.

The Pipiriki tour operators said this would be the highest they've seen the river in 10 years. "The river is still rising, but we're okay up here."

Mrs Howarth said the water would probably not reach the lowest houses in the village that were at the entrance to the road leading down to the river.