Source: Radio New Zealand
Rangitikei Mayor Andy Watson. RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
The Rangitikei mayor wants people to stop taking “disaster sightseeing” trips into the back country because they are getting in the way of contractors doing their jobs.
“Sections of Marton and Taihape are also without electricity, and people should prepare to be without power for a number of days,” Andy Watson said on Tuesday, following bad weather.
Generators were being used to maintain water supplies in population centres.
Meanwhile, council staff and contractors were clearing a huge number of fallen trees from roads around the district and some local roads remained closed.
In its midday update on Tuesday, Powerco said there were about 8220 customers without power across its network area, with the most impacted regions being Whanganui (3284), Manawatū (3801) and Wairarapa (1103).
“Multiple poles and lines are down, particularly in the Whanganui and Manawatū regions, with complete rebuilds of sections of the electricity network needed before power can be restored,” the lines company said.
“One of the hardest-hit areas is Himatangi in Manawatū, where our contracting crews are needing to rebuild the power line network on some of the roads.”
Powerco said the severity of the damage meant it was unable to say when electricity supply would be restored.
“Good power restoration gains are expected on Tuesday with improved weather conditions in the regions hardest hit by wild weather overnight Sunday and [on Monday].”
The company said crews from throughout the North Island were helping restore power to customers in Whanganui-Rangitīkei, Manawatū-Tararua and Wairarapa.
“Helicopters have been used this morning to assess damage from the air, so that contracting crews can then access remote areas with the correct equipment.”
Meanwhile, Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith said a small number of Ashhurst residents could expect ongoing disruption from the aftermath of the wild weather, but by-and-large the city had emerged unscathed.
Smith said the Saddle Road remained closed while council staff and contractors began the clean-up operation.
“My understanding is that there is still surface flooding there. It was a pretty big storm, so there’ll be some carnage there for a little while as the clean-up happens.
“Obviously trees [are] down, and what’s been washed down the Pohangina River as it joins up with the Manawatū.”
Smith said the Saddle and River Road area of Ashhurst was low-lying and prone to flooding.
About a dozen residents were evacuated in the early hours of Monday morning when officials became concerned about the Pohangina River. They were allowed to return home a few hours later.
Smith said officials tended to take a level of precaution when considering the area.
“We did declare a state of emergency in a precautionary approach, but some of our neighbours in the headwaters of the Rangitikei and Manawatū rivers were hit a lot worse than we were.”
Smith said Palmerston North had been able to release some staff to help with the clean-up in the Rangitikei and Tararua regions.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
