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Wednesday 7 February 2018
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Region rocked by storm Judene Edgar Reporter
judene@waimeaweekly.co.nz
The region felt the full force of a major storm generated from ex-Tropical Cyclone Fehi last Thursday. While many people inland experienced a short period of heavy rain and wind, the region’s coastal areas bore the full impact of nature’s fury. Heavy rain, northerly gales up to 130km/hr and a king tide combined to leave much of the region’s coastline unrecognisable. “It was a serious storm, there is no question,” says Civil Defence group controller Roger Ball. He says that because the storm was a short duration, it was unlikely that it will be as serious in terms of damage as the large-scale storms that hit the region in 2010 and 2011. “We might find the dollar impact is lower. The infrastructure damage here seems to be on roads and cycleways,” he says. Three of the worst affected areas were Mapua, Ruby Bay and Monaco, with residents needing to be evacuated from the low-lying areas. Civil Defence centres were opened in Mapua and Monaco to help displaced residents. Ruby Bay residents Stephen, Sarah and Biddy Thomas were among those rescued. Sarah says that by 9am the water had already started splashing onto their property, and with another two hours before high tide, they knew that it
The fire service and police were busy evacuating residents after the ocean broke over the Ruby Bay seawall and covered the Tait St and Broadsea Ave area in waist-deep water. Photo: Chocolate Dog Photography.
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