With further wet weather forecast for the Eastern Bay, Whakatāne District Council is asking motorists to drive with caution as slips and falling trees are still possible.

The Eastern Bay is still in clean-up mode after taking a beating from ex-Cyclone Vaianu last weekend.

The Whakatāne council reported extreme wind gusts up to approximately 150kmh on Sunday afternoon, very large seas and a high tide coinciding with the cyclone making landfall creating serious coastal inundation risk.

A State of Emergency declared by acting Whakatāne Mayor Julie Jukes on Saturday morning was lifted on Monday afternoon.

Power supplies, roads and trees took the biggest hits. However, there was no loss of life or severe damage to homes as had been a major concern for Civil Defence authorities.

Trustpower reported more than 10,000 customers were affected by power cuts during the storm, with over 7000 still without power on Monday morning. Ōpōtiki district was hit particularly hard, with around 4500 customers affected. As of midday yesterday, the number had been reduced to 1846.

Power lines on at least four roads in the Whakatāne district were affected by fallen trees and a major line at the Edgecumbe substation was damaged.

Whakatāne District Council reported more than 60 roads affected across the district and at least 57 known road closures due to fallen trees.

As of midday yesterday, 15 were still being reported as closed and many others reduced to one lane and caution urged.

The council said roads remained wet in many areas and slips and falling debris were still possible, particularly with further wet weather forecast in coming days.

The Rūātoki, Matatā and Waimana water supply pumps remained on generator power and a boil water notice is in place in Rūātoki until further notice.

Waimana residents were asked to continue conserving water and limiting use to essential needs only while the systems remained on backup power.

Over 270 properties in Ōhope and one in coastal Thornton were subject to mandatory evacuations on Saturday night.

On Sunday morning, after the weather system appeared to be tracking directly toward Whakatāne, the council warned of a risk to life for anyone living in a coastal areas, who were strongly advised to evacuate.

The New Zealand Defence Force were deployed to the area to support the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group and set up operations at the Whakatāne council offices on Sunday.

Whakatāne War Memorial Centre and Rangitihi Marae in Matatā were opened as evacuation points for anyone who did not feel safe. These were closed at 12 noon on Monday.

The evacuated residents were cleared to return to their homes shortly after 6pm Sunday, although people living near steep cliffs, slopes or escarpments were warned to be alert for any signs of movement.

In a live broadcast after the storm, acting mayor Julie Jukes acknowledged how unsettling the cyclone had been for people.

“I want to sincerely thank those of you who made the difficult decision to evacuate when asked. I know that was not easy, but those actions were brave.”

She also thanked the Emergency Management team for their commitment, professionalism and care for the community, and those who helped neighbours and friends and family during their time of need.

Any service issues, like trees down or slips, should be reported to the council’s 24/7 call centre on 07 3060500. Non-urgent issues could also be logged via the Fix It and Report a Problem form on the council website.

Narrow miss for Whakatāne home

Douglas Street resident Robyn Arnold could only watch as the plum tree in her backyard fell toward her home on Sunday morning.

She watched through her living room window as, at about 11am, the tree narrowly missed her home by inches.

“I did wonder whether it was going to hit the house,” she said.

Despite her small section, the tree missed fences, gutters and windows.

A statuette on the corner of her deck was the tree’s only victim.

As ex-cyclone Vaianu approached Whakatāne, hers was just one of many trees to topple throughout the district.

Mrs Arnold, like many Whakatāne residents, is now hoping someone with a chainsaw and a need for firewood will remove the tree for her. E5940-01

Debris clean up

Ōhope appeared to have escaped largely unscathed by the cyclone.

With their Harbour Road property backing directly onto the harbour, Judy and Warren Heathcoat were glad to have escaped the worst of Cyclone Vaianu’s impact. The most noticeable effect came at high tide when water levels rose into their garden.

“Last night was probably the highest it has been,” Mr Heathcoat said on Monday.

“You couldn’t see the mangroves because of the water,” said Mrs Heathcoat.

The Harbourside Trail was also submerged, though the couple said wind and rain were less severe than expected.

“The house rocked a few times, but no more than what you’d feel from a washing machine or a heavy truck going past,” Mr Heathcoat said.

Even their large pōhutukawa stood firm, losing only small branches.

At Ōhope’s West End, residents have been busy clearing debris left behind by the storm.

Briar Goldie, who was among those helping, said the clean-up effort was a natural response.

She said when they returned home on Monday evening, debris had spread into the carpark.

“We heard a truck had cleared some of it earlier, but it definitely came right up here – there was sand.”

“We spend so much time here, it just seemed right to help.

“There was so much debris everywhere, and we’re putting it back on the dunes to help support them.

“Many hands make light work.”

She said the dunes had likely prevented it from being worse.