State Highway 2 closed in Karangahake Gorge, severe weather warning for Bay of Plenty

State Highway 2 is closed between Paeroa and Waihī following a slip.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency asked motorists to avoid the Karangahake Gorge area or delay their journey if possible.

It comes after MetService issued a red heavy rain warning for the Bay of Plenty west of Kawerau between 03:00 and 21:00 tomorrow when up to 150mm of rain is forecast at rates of up to 25mm/h.

MetService says this rain is expected to cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding. Landslides and floodwaters are likely to disrupt travel, make some roads impassable and potentially isolate communities.

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Tauranga City Council civil defense controller Mike Naude said now was the time to think about where people would go if they had to evacuate.

“We appeal to people to be prepared and stay out of floodwaters,” says Naude.

“Flood waters may look calm, but those conditions can change very quickly, with devastating consequences.

“People should stay out of floodwaters and take extra care around storm drains, culverts and manholes that become powerful suction devices that can sweep a child or adult away in an instant.”

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Council contractors looked at outlets, storm water pumps, valve gates and drains throughout the day.

The slip that closed State Highway 2 in the Karangahake Gorge between Waihi and Paeroa.

Anne Tolley, chair of the Tauranga Commission, said the safety and well-being of the community was the top priority.

“With more extreme weather ahead, our message is that everyone should look out for each other and check in with whānau, friends and neighbours.”

The entire Bay of Plenty was under a MetService orange warning, but following discussion with councils, Civil Defense and their teams on the ground, this has been upgraded to red across the western parts of the Bay of Plenty.

MetService meteorologist John Law said this was due to soil saturation and high river levels, meaning it “would not take much of a top-up to see significant impacts”.

“Since 9am on Friday 27 January, Tauranga Airport has seen 18cm of rain, Whakatane 9.5cm and Rotorua 20cm, which is an impressive amount.

“This rainfall has the potential to bring serious impacts to the area, including dangerous river conditions and significant flooding. Landslides and floodwaters are likely to disrupt travel, make some roads impassable and potentially isolate communities.”

The red alert includes Rotorua Lake District, Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City.

Red warnings are reserved for the most extreme weather events in which significant impact and disruption is expected.

This suggests that people need to act now as immediate action is needed to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather. People should also be prepared to follow the advice of official authorities and emergency services.

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Severe weather warnings remain in place for many parts of northern New Zealand, including Northland, Auckland north of Orewa and the Coromandel Peninsula.

Along with the heavy rain and localized showers, northeasterly winds are forecast to strengthen over Auckland and the Northland this afternoon, potentially becoming gusty in exposed areas.

State Highway 2 is closed in the Karangahake Gorge between Paeroa and Waihī following a skid on Tuesday afternoon, with a large orange truck “swerving” to avoid the skid Photo / Anita Saunders

Anita Saunders said she and her husband live at the end of Moresby St in the Karangahake Gorge. When her husband heard about the slip from a Facebook post, he ran down to the site, which is about a five-minute walk from their home.

“The slip is only about 20 feet (just over 6 meters) from where a smaller slip closed one lane a few weeks ago.”

Saunders said the latest slip was on a bend just before the Crown Hill Rd footbridge and many other local residents soon arrived to take a closer look.

“I think there will be a lot more slips because there are little bits of stuff still falling near the bottom of this slip even as we stood there.”

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Many cars made U-turns and realized they couldn’t get through, but she couldn’t tell how big the traffic jam was around the corner, she said.

State Highway 2 is closed in the Karangahake Gorge between Paeroa and Waihī following a slip on Tuesday afternoon. Photo / Anita Saunders

Saunders said a large orange truck swerved to avoid the skid and the driver was the “hero” of the day as far as she was concerned.

“After some local residents and a logging contractor chainsawed the branches at the scene, the truck driver detached his trailer and dragged away some large tree roots to clear a path.

“The driver of a black sport utility vehicle also dragged away a large branch. The gap was then big enough to get the big trucks through and clear the backlog of traffic.”

State Highway 2 is closed in the Karangahake Gorge between Paeroa and Waihī following a slip on Tuesday afternoon. Photo / Anita Saunders

“Many cars made u-turns before the path was cleared. There is a broken storm water pipe at the top right of the slip that is pouring water onto the slip.

“I’m not sure if that contributed to the slip or if it broke through it, but heavy Old Man’s Beard climber growth will add to the weight of the vegetation on the hill. We have had two trees felled on DOC land near us for this reason, one of them recently on the side of the tunnel bridge.”

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Anita Roest and her husband are co-owners of Riverside Accommodation in Karangahake Gorge, and two sets of couples and themselves were now stranded.

Roest said that because this slip was around the corner, they did not see it in person and only learned about it after she returned home from a shopping trip in Waihi.

“I did get stuck in traffic coming back from Waihi, but luckily I managed to get home safely. We and our guests are fine, although my husband usually commutes to Tauranga every day for work.

“Nobody panicked because we’re used to sliding in the gorge and the contractors are pretty good at clearing it quickly, and at least the river has disappeared compared to what it was a few days ago.”

Meanwhile, Waipuna Hospice chief executive Richard Thurlow said the Wairoa River had receded significantly and the good news was that the hospice’s Te Puna main building was not affected, although the lower sheds did suffer damage.

“Due to further heavy rain forecast for Wed and Thu, and the Wairoa catchment being very waterlogged, we will be keeping the site closed for the rest of this week and the only patient being cared for at the Te Puna site is moved to the Aged Care Facility Althorpe on Saturday.

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“I take this decision no because of any risk to buildings, but more because of potential loss of access along Te Puna Station Road and possibly from a slip nearby.”

Each bag must have:

Hiking shoes, warm clothes, raincoat and hat Water and snacks Hand sanitizer Portable phone charger Cash Copies of important documents and photo ID Medication Torch Radio Special dietary requirements food

Source: Tauranga City Council