A sigh of relief went round the district yesterday as flood waters slowly subsided and the state of emergency was lifted in Wanganui.
And words of thanks were also heard for the army, firefighters, Civil Defence, council staff, police, boaties and the host of volunteers who had helped avert disaster.
Yesterday, Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye said good planning was a key factor in the response. "The Horizons council has done excellent work predicting river levels and this allowed Wanganui District Council to declare a state of emergency on Tuesday to ensure evacuations could take place before the Whanganui River reached its predicted peak.
"Good planning and preparation are the key to ensuring civil defence emergency events run efficiently. I know there has been very good liaison between the councils and a lot has been learned from the 1990 floods that so badly affected this area.
"I have spoken to mayor Annette Main and MP Chester Borrows, who have visited some of the most affected parts, and they have told me that everyone is very grateful to the New Zealand Army for sandbagging areas of the river, and that this has greatly reduced the impacts of flooding. There are communities in the region likely to be affected for several days, such as Turakina Beach and Whangaehu, and they will receive all the help they need."
