Source: Radio New Zealand
There were six campers at the Herbertville Campground when it was evacuated. RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
Campers and some residents of the tiny coastal settlement of Herbertville rushed to the community hall in the early hours of this morning after the Wainui River burst its banks.
The evacuation came three years and two days after the river last burst its banks in the Tararua District township, southeast of Dannevirke, flooding the pub and campground during Cyclone Gabrielle.
On that occasion, a build up of slash at the road bridge into Herbertville’s entrance created a dam, which diverted the water.
Last night, there was no slash, but there was enough water in the river for it to rise fast.
Herbertville Campground manager Chris Cawsey said on Monday he’d had a sleepless night due to the storm.
“About 1.15am the river burst its banks about halfway down the campground,” he said.
“It rose about 4 1/2 feet in 49 minutes. The remaining campers who were in the campground, we got to evacuate.”
Herbertville Campground manager Chris Cawsey says the rising river burst its banks about 1.30am. RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
Six campers headed to the community hall and have since found other places to stay. Cawsey said his family spent the night at another house in the settlement away from the danger.
The river was still flowing quickly when RNZ visited at lunchtime on Monday, but had dropped from its peak.
Cawsey and his family were back at the campground and he said he’d keep an eye on the river’s level.
There was surface flooding near the campground entrance.
Surface flooding was still visible at the campground on Monday. RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
Cawsey said he was disappointed the town’s flood warning system didn’t activate, and that settlement residents didn’t receive any warning through their phones, although he did get a call from the council on Sunday night.
Herbertville Inn owners John and Miki Sedcole also evacuated to the community hall.
John Sedcole, who managed the campground when Cyclone Gabrielle hit, said this time the water did not funnel down the street like it did in 2023.
“We came back to the hotel about 5.30am after the high tide and the water had receded a bit,” he said.
“Now, power’s our biggest problem, but thank goodness we bought a generator and we’re able to have all our fridges on the generator, so we’re okay.”
John Sedcole. RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
Sedcole was not sure if he would open tonight, but said it might be a good idea so locals could have a place to gather and discuss what had happened.
He emptied his rain gauge this morning and it had 150 millilitres of water in it – Cawsey reported more than 120ml in his.
Gusts of more 200kmh were recorded at nearby Cape Turnagain. Although it was windy in Herbertville, Sedcole said it wasn’t at that level.
Cawsey said it was violent in the early hours of the morning, but the area was used to high winds.
Roads around the settlement had some fallen branches and debris from trees on them, but roading crews were in the area doing clearing the surfaces.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
