Historical emergencies

Declared at 0255 hrs for District due to severe flooding with significant problems in Marton. 100 year event in certain areas. Approximately 530 people evacuated. Communications (phones) out due to bridges supporting cables collapsing. Water & power outages throughout District. Certain parts of District isolated. Declaration ended on 17 February due to a Regional declaration being made.

Declared at 0030 hrs for District, although damage was limited to Paekakariki town and Paekakariki Hill Road. Damage caused by major flooding and landslips (mud & rubble) at Paekakariki. Several families evacuated, welfare centre established. Health issues due to sewerage problems. Wellington cut off (road and rail) until afternoon of 04.10.2003. Air crash at Waikanae might have complicated response. Duration of declaration mainly due to clean-up process.

Declared at 0800 hrs for Putararu & Tirau Wards. Terminated at 1700 on 23/07. “Weather Bomb” caused extensive flooding. Main problems nil water supply, no power, resulting in a need to regulate water supply & consumption. Several roads closed, Kinleith branch railway line closed. Considerable damage to private properties, no evacuations.

Declared at 0303 hrs for District. Terminated at 1700 on 24/07. “Weather Bomb” caused extensive flooding, power failures, overloading of waste water systems. All flooding between midnight & 1240am. Some areas recorded highest rainfall ever per hour. 200 houses evacuated, 500 evacuees. SH 25 closed. One death- person swept to sea at Waiomu Motor camp. 14500 insurance claims as at 2 August 2002. Estimated at $25 million (highest ever linked to a disaster event in NZ).

Declared at 1918hrs. Terminated at 1300, 3 days later. Flooding in Balclutha (110 people evacuated); Kaitangata (30 people)

Threatening landslip. Declared at 1730hrs. Terminated at 2359, 10 days later. 64 houses evacuated.

Declared at 0830 hours. Terminated at 1700, 2 days later. Flooding in Alexandra (200+ businesses & houses); Roxburgh, Miller’s Flat, Ettrick.

Declared at 0750, lifted at 1310 same day. A slip off the north face of Mt Adams occurred at 0330hrs on 6 October 1999 depositing 10-15 million cu.metres of debris in the Poerua river valley, blocking the river and creating a lake 1.2km long and over 80metres deep. The lake overtopped after 2 days of heavy rain caused the dam to breach at about 0745 on 12 October. 46 people were evacuated as water moved through the valley. Resultant damage was minimal despite aggregation raising the river bed substantially.

Declared at 1147, lifted at 1609 same day. A small number of self evacuations were carried out.

Declared at 1800, lifted 1200 next day. Declaration by Mayor for whole district. Purpose: to assist Emergency Services in evacuating properties. 40 properties & in excess of 200 people evacuated; 2 houses destroyed by fire; 1 person died from heart attack - shock of event; many farm buildings, fences & numbers of livestock were destroyed by fire. No actual costs.