LIVE: Cyclone Cook makes landfall in Bay of Plenty

Author: NZ Herald Staff ,
Publish Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2017, 5:19AM

KEY POINTS

Cyclone Cook has made land in the Bay of Plenty and is expected to bring winds of up to 150km; 50mm of rain is forecast to fall over some areas by 8pm
Air New Zealand has cancelled all flights in and out of Rotorua, Tauranga, Hamilton, Blenheim, Nelson and Napier for the rest of the night.
There are dozens of reports of flooding, slips, downed trees and powerlines in the Thames-Coromandel District, Matamata, Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty
Power has been cut to several townships in the Bay of Plenty, with teams working to restore electricity in Whakatane
Residents in low-lying areas of the Coromandel are being advised to evacuate over fears of storm surge; a state of emergency has been declared by the Thames- Coromandel District Council
Evacuations have been ordered in parts of the coastal town of Ohope and all campgrounds on the western end of Whakatane District
The Defence Force has put 500 staff and aircraft and trucks on stand-by
Slips, flooding, and fallen trees and powerlines have forced the closures of parts of SH2, SH25, SH30, SH24, SH34 and the old SH38
The storm is expected to move down towards Wellington by Friday morning
The weather system has passed east of Auckland, with earlier warnings in the city now downgraded.

Cyclone Cook has plunged most of the Eastern Bay of Plenty into darkness, with damaged infrastructure cutting power during one of the biggest storms to hit the country in nearly 50 years.

Some residents in Whakatane were stocking up on supplies at the local supermarket - after being told to have at least three days' supply of food and water - when the power was cut.

Power is out in Whakatane and surrounding areas, Waimana, Opotiki, Te Kaha, Ohope and Ohiwa Harbour.

Meanwhile, PowerCo says more than 1400 homes are without power in Te Puke, Waihi, Matakana Island, Te Puna and Welcome Bay.

The Civil Defence Centre in Tauranga is using a back-up generator.

PowerCo is also dealing with weather-related outages in Inglewood, Stratford and Taihape.

In Whakatane, wind gusts had reached over 100km/h and had been increasing over the last hour. In Tauranga, they had reached 85km/h.

Kevin Cowper, the Fire Service's Bay of Plenty coastal area manager, said emergency crews were "very busy" with flooding, slips, tree collapses, and downed power lines.

He said there were call-outs throughout Coromandel, Waihi, Tauranga, and Edgecumbe.

"We're pretty stretched but we're coping," Cowper said.

He said the Fire Service was evaluating all emergency calls and prioritising those which had a "risk to life".

Extra personnel have been brought in, while "well-staffed" volunteer fire brigades were also being deployed.

Cowper urged those who were at risk of flooding to self-evacuate and seek higher ground.

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management said people should have warm clothing, medication, important documents, and a clear emergency plan.

Civil Defence's Sarah Stuart-Black also advised people in affected areas to be prepared for evacuations.

"We're not through the worst of this yet and even though the peak weather is hitting in the next three to four hours (7-8pm) some of the consequences of that won't be seen until tomorrow."

The atmospheric pressure ahead of Cyclone Cook is at similar levels to the storm which sank the Wahine 49 years ago.

At a Whakatane District Council Civil Defence briefing this afternoon, officials said during Cyclone Giselle in 1968, the pressure reached 968 millibars, whereas the pressure was at 970 today.

A typical range can vary between 970 to 1040 millibars, classing the current reading at the extreme lower end.

Chris Noble of MetService said the cyclone was on track to hit Wellington overnight and moving over the South Island and out to sea.

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence group controller, Clinton Naude, earlier said all residents living in low-lying coastal area were being advised to self-evacuate with significant swells and sea surges expected within the next 12 hours.

"These residents need to be watching for natural warning signs and if worried or in doubt - don't wait for official warnings, move to families and friends or another safe location on higher ground.

"Our advice is that it is best to do this now during daylight, and before conditions deteriorate further."

Bay of Plenty Regional Council duty flood manager Peter Blackwood said the force of the storm could be even worse than predicted, with high tide at 9pm and concerns of a wave surge.

Dams on the Rangitaiki River which breached its banks, evacuating the town of Edgecumbe last week, have been lowered ahead of tonight's deluge.

A spokesman for NZTA said five sections of State Highway were closed in Bay of Plenty and Coromandel.

In Auckland NZTA said the motorway network and Harbour Bridge were open.

The City of Sails, including Great Barrier Island where winds of 165km/hr were expected, appears to have escaped the cyclone's fury.

NIWA Meteorologist Chris Brandolino said he didn't anticipate the cyclone coming into Auckland city proper.

While it will come close and the rainfall likely, he said the western outer shield of the storm will probably fall short of the Auckland CBD.

However, Auckland commuters weren't taking chances and took the opportunity to escape work early after fears of a Harbour Bridge closure.

Civil Defence authorities praised Aucklanders for their response to the cyclone, despite buses being at capacity and motorways clogging.

MetService has throughout the day also advised people to consider altering their Easter travel plans.

COROMANDEL

Thames-Coromandel District Council says high tide is due across the peninsula between 8pm and 11pm.

People have been asked to avoid low-lying beach-front areas and estuaries in the Coromandel Peninsula, where a state of emergency is in place.

Thames Coromandel District Council said heavy rain could cause landslips, fallen trees and power lines, but predicted high winds may not arrive.

Civil Defence is asking people to avoid travelling to the Coromandel until Saturday given the severity of the storm.

State Highway 25, Thames Coast Road, is closed between Tararu and Preeces Point.

Black Jack Road is closed on Opito Bay Hill due to a slip, a tree has fallen on State Highway 25, and people are asked to avoid unnecessary travel.

Civil Defence centres have been set up at Whitianga Town Hall, Tairua Hall, Whangamata Town Hall, Thames Civic Centre, and the St John Ambulance station in Coromandel Town.

This is an extremely serious weather event. Put safety first. Don’t take any chances. Please share. #CycloneCook https://t.co/o3xeNJonFo pic.twitter.com/i1p9DUng5Y
— MCDEM (@NZcivildefence) April 12, 2017

"Damaging winds, possibly hurricane force for a time, may impact some areas around the centre of this low," Duncan said.

People in Thames needed to heed the warnings and make sure trampolines were tied down, they had enough food, torches and batteries available, said MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray.

"They're going to be right in the path of Cyclone Cook.

"This is such a widespread event. People just need to hunker down.

"We're expecting downpours of 50mm in an hour, which is phenomenal - for instance, with Cyclone Debbie we were saying it was phenomenal with 40mm per hour of rain. But this one will have a lot of wind associated, which is not the case with Debbie.

"We are being vigilant with this system, because it may be not prolonged but it will have a massive impact. We are expecting to see damage."

She said she had "grave concerns" about the erosion potential.

All properties on West End Road in Ohope and all beachfront homes on the seaward side of Pohutukawa Avenue through to Te Akau Street have been issued a mandatory evacuation.

Properties by the Maraetotara Stream, Millers Stream and Wharekura Stream are also vulnerable to a storm surge.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council duty flood manager Peter Blackwood said the force of the storm could be even worse than predicted.

The storm is unwelcome news for many Edgecumbe residents who remain unable to return to their homes swamped in last week's floods during Cyclone Debbie. Others living in rural areas are still cut off.

Eastern Bay flood managers are confident Edgecumbe will not receive any more flooding.

Mr Blackwood said this is what they've prepared for when they lowered the Matahina Dam.

The dam was dropped to record lows and will able to take on a significant amount of water.

WAIKATO

Residents of the Waikato region are being told to stay off the roads unless it's absolutely necessary.

Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to batter the region until at least 9pm.

Civil Defence Controller Merv Balloch said the risk of slips, flooding and debris on the roads is too great to consider non-essential travel.

He said if people do leave their homes, they need to take the utmost care.

Hamilton's expecting the worst of the storm between 4pm and 6pm.

Council staff have already had a number of requests for help because of surface flooding in the past 24 hours.

The City Council's Incident Response Manager, Kelvin Powell, says there was significant surface flooding on around 30 roads yesterday.

He said stormwater networks are still under pressure and the heavy rain expected will have nowhere to go on the already saturated ground.

The Council's asking residents to keep water usage to a minimum.

It's worried about its eastern water main on the banks of the Waikato River and has shut it down. Part of the pipe was exposed by a slip earlier in the year.

Protective structures have been put around it but if the water level rises over that protection debris from the storm could damage the pipe.

Hamilton Zoo has been closed, and bus services to Hamilton Gardens have been halted.

SOUTH ISLAND

Cyclone Cook will be fast moving and by midnight to dawn tomorrow, it may already be at Cook Strait.

By tomorrow morning, the storm will be centred near Christchurch if current modelling is correct.

Downpours may be intense in South Canterbury and coastal Otago for a time tomorrow with concern of flooding.

MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray said Cyclone Cook had changed from a tropical cyclone to a "mid-latitude low" - a "very different beast" from Cyclone Debbie.

Debbie was spread out, with noticeable bands of rain hitting the country interspersed with periods of calm. Cook, by contrast, will be short and sharp, but bring a "phenomenal" amount of rain, Murray said.

"It is a really tightly packed cyclone - the isobars are very tight - which means strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges."

Dunedin's Emergency Operations Centre is standing down, as conditions ease in the south.

MetService lifted its heavy rain warning earlier this morning, however more rain is expected to fall overnight.

A Dunedin City Council civil defence spokesperson says the centre will wind down this afternoon.

However, he said civil defence personnel will continue to monitor the situation over the next few days.

The weather by region:

Northland / Waikato
• Heavy rain warnings in place.
• Between 150-300mm of rain expected across Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

Auckland
• Heavy downpours, flash flooding and 140kmh winds expected until midnight tonight.
• Between 150-300mm of rain expected through to this evening.
• Ferry and train services may have to be cancelled.
• Possible vehicle restrictions on the Harbour Bridge due to high winds.
• Auckland Council, Civil Defence and NZTA all urged care on roads.
• Delays and cancellations expected on some train services.
• Three Waiheke Island schools closed today.

Coromandel
• Worst of the weather will hit today. Civil defence emergency in force.
• 150 to 250mm rain until midnight tonight, with intense rates up to 35mm an hour.
• Winds of up to 150km/h or more possible from this afternoon. Peak waves of 5m or more on eastern coast.
• Extreme care urged at high tide at 9pm. High tide tomorrow at 9.16am and 9.41pm. Care should also be taken on the Firth of Thames coast.
• Slips and flooding possible and could close roads. Easter holidaymakers urged to stay away.

Bay of Plenty / Edgecumbe
• Up to 300mm expected in Bay of Plenty in next 48 hours.
• Regional state of emergency in place as water pumped from flooded Edgecumbe.
• Access to areas of Edgecumbe hit by last week's floods suspended due to the incoming weather.
• 57 schools in the region closed, as with kura and early learning centres.
• Edgecumbe residents will be alerted to evacuations with sirens from fire stations and emergency services vehicles.

Taupo
• 150 to 205 mm through to midnight tonight. Wind gusts up to 150km/h or more possible from this afternoon until early tomorrow.
• Lake Taupo could rise by half a metre.

Wellington
• The storm expected to reach the capital early tomorrow morning
• It is likely to deliver heavy rain and strong winds

Westland, Buller, Nelson
• Intense rain forecast for region
• Up to 200mm of rain expected in ranges around Nelson, with maximum rainfall rates of 30 to 40mm an hour.
• Slow moving low in from the Tasman Sea will bring rain to the West Coast before other regions in the South Island.
• A severe weather watch has been issued for the affected areas.

Otago
• Flooding fears for Dunedin
• Heaviest rainfall expected from midnight to 2am.

-NZ Herald