Central Hawke's Bay District Council is anticipating an expensive bill as it prepares to clean up from heavy rain that has hit the area over the past two days.
A ford was washed out in heavy rain near the Central Hawke's Bay District village of Ongaonga. Photo: RNZ / Jake McKee
There have been significant road closures - peaking at 30 roads closed simultaneously, some with serious damage - and water restrictions that officials say could last days.
River levels got so high in some areas that they are lapping at the bases of bridges, including washing away a swingbridge the council says is "beloved".
Mayor Alex Walker said it had been an "intense" couple of days and the district had not seen rain like this for 10 years.
"We've got people that've got damage to their farms, to stock, to houses, and of course what council's dealing with now are the flow-on consequences of impacts on our infrastructure."
Key infrastructure damage is roading but there are also things like water treatment plants - one that was underwater at one point.
One side of Tikokino Road, near the town of Waipawa in Central Hawke's Bay, has been washed away while the other side has been flooded after heavy rain hit the region. Photo: RNZ / Jake McKee
Council officials are also making sure no one in the vastly spread district is left isolated.
Walker was concerned about places like Pōrangahau, where the main road is closed, with alternative routes not suitable for all vehicles, and the cellphone tower has also malfunctioned.
"What that means is that we're trying to get that fix for that [cellphone tower] prioritised from a national network of infrastructure where there's lot of pressures going on and they don't necessarily see Pōrangahau as a priority," she said.
"But for us, they are number one priority because they are isolated, which makes them vulnerable."
River levels rose at this bridge near the Central Hawke's Bay District village of Ongaonga after heavy rain hit the region. Photo: RNZ / Jake McKee
One of the district's main centres, Waipukurau, is on a boil water notice. Council chief executive Monique Davidson said that would be reviewed on Monday.
"The rain stops and we probably all expect for life to go back to normal, and the water standards don't really work like that."
Davidson said the notice could not be lifted until turbidity levels had returned to an appropriate standard.
Agencies, including the Ministry for Primary Industries, were on site monitoring animal welfare.
Council livestock response manager Lisa Harrison said they were having to remove dead farm animals that were washed into waterways, which was making flooding worse in coastal areas.
She said they were working to understand how bad the situation was
A section of a road near the Central Hawkes Bay District village of Ongaonga was washed out after heavy rain hit the region. Photo: RNZ / Jake McKee
"We're working alongside the local community members and just understanding the nature of our roading networks at the moment to make sure we can get out there and, obviously, retrieve and remove [the dead stock]."
Harrison said the ongoing weather and changing tides could mean more dead animals washed up in coming days.
Photo: RNZ / Jake McKee
A number of schools in the district also closed their gates today, but some did open - like Ongaonga School, despite having a river just 100m away that breached its banks.
Principal Carmen Edgecombe said parents were encouraged to keep kids home from school, with only about 12 pupils turning up.
She said she was "happy" to have the children learning online, because they were already set up for it and it was "just safety first really".
