Tairawhiti region of New Zealand under state of emergency with more rain predictions

• The Tairawhiti region of New Zealand is still under a state of local emergency.
• Ex-tropical cyclone Hale brought heavy rain, large seas, and strong gusts.
• Some residences had to be evacuated due to flooding, and rural communities were shut off.

Due to flooding and landslips, the Tairawhiti region of New Zealand is still under a state of local emergency, and further rain is predicted to fall there on Wednesday.

As ex-tropical cyclone Hale swept across the nation, a large portion of New Zealand’s North Island, including Tairawhiti, also known as East Cape, saw heavy rain, large seas, and strong gusts. The sole area under an emergency declaration is Tairawhiti, which is located on the east coast.

In the previous 24 hours, more than 220 millimetres (8.6 inches) of rain fell in the area.

Some residences had to be evacuated due to flooding, tiny rural communities were shut off, and about 1,270 homes were left without electricity. The Tairawhiti Civil Defence posted a statement on Facebook stating that the wastewater network is at capacity and the rivers are still high.

“The state of emergency remains in place with our focus on restoring power and access to all our cut off communities, but it may take time,” civil defence added.

It has urged residents to avoid travelling whenever possible and to watch out for surface floods, slides, and areas where the road has shifted or trees have fallen.

The region is expected to have further rain on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the government weather service Metservice in New Zealand.

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