Team effort to help clean up Waihī Beach
The Council team were on hand to help remove flood damaged belongings from flats.
Silt and mud covered a number of Waihī Beach's roads.
Flood waters scoured out the foundation of concrete at the reservoir accessway.
Concrete and asphalt on the reservoir accessway were carved up and damaged by the stream of floodwater.
A 7-8m slip on the Trig Track is just some of the damage caused by erosion in the area.
Further damage elsewhere on the reservoir walking tracks means most are unsafe for use for the time being.
The floodwaters have eroded away significant chunks of the reservoir walking track's gravel surface.
The sand dune surrounding the Norfolk Pine north of the Albacore Avenue playground has eroded significantly.
Erosion has exposed the concrete footing of a bench seat near by One Mile Creek.
The now closed One Mile Creek footbridge has been significantly eroded.
Water infrastructure
All of our water systems were operating at normal or near normal levels by Tuesday (30 May) morning.
The reservoir worked as designed throughout the rainfall event with excess stormwater water going over into the spillways. It was just the intensity of the rainfall that meant the reservoir went from near normal levels to overflowing within an hour. Geotechnical engineers will check its integrity as a matter of normal checking procedure, but the reservoir stayed intact throughout the rainfall event.
In terms of the wider stormwater system, the sheer volume of rain in the short space of time meant that rain was falling faster than it could be carried away through the stormwater system. Given that most of the water did drain away relatively quickly, we know the stormwater was working throughout, but it wasn’t designed for the deluge we saw on Monday afternoon.
Mayor James says “An hour of intense rain has left us with a big clean up job, but we’re tackling it piece by piece.
“We know people have questions about the stormwater system but it’s too soon to say whether the system needs any significant upgrades beyond some already planned upcoming projects that may help mitigate future flooding. But as we’ve seen in other parts of the country, our stormwater systems are not designed for this level of intense rainfall and run off, and when it occurs, overland flow and flooding is likely to follow.”
Repeated weather events can cause a huge amount of fatigue and stress. Whether you or people you know were affected by the flooding on Monday or not, this kind of event takes a toll. It’s completely normal to feel stressed but there are things you can do to feel better. Call or text 1737 to speak to a trained counsellor.
Friends and family may also be feeling a little uneasy so don’t forget to check in with your loved ones.
If you see any further storm damage report it to us on 0800 926 732, email info@westernbay.govt.nz or report it via Antenno.
