Weather update 6 January 7.30am
It appears the weather eased last night and we are now into recovery and damage assessment.
The NZ Defence Force and the Red Cross will be doing community outreach today where people have been badly affected by
the weather yesterday.
There were no further reports of flooding, slips or further road closures overnight.
All our local Council roads are open, with Colville Rd open to one and expected to be open to two lanes later today. Our
roading contractors are out this morning checking everything and will keep us informed.
NZ Transport Agency has advised us that the Thames Coast Road (SH25) is now passable from Te Puru north, but remains
closed between Te Puru and Tararu. There is severe damage to the road at Whakatete Bay.
If you are trying to leave Coromandel the way out is through Whitianga to Tairua, traffic delays are expected.
The Pauanui water treatment plant was able to recommence production of water from late yesterday, but customers are
asked to conserve water as demand is met and reservoirs refilled. The water being supplied in Pauanui throughout the
weather event has remained safe and potable with no issues with quality.
The power still seems to be on and off across the District. Check here for further details or contact your electricity company
The following public toilets are closed: Waikawau, Tapu, Te Puru Boat Ramp, Te Puru Domain, Adams Rd in Thornton Bay.
Hannfords Wharf is closed until it can be inspected by a marine engineer later today. Coromandel Wharf appears OK but
will also be inspected. A number of private jetties leading off the main wharf there have been damaged and appear
unsafe.
DOC has confirmed the Pinnacles Hut is open. The road is open with some metal washout but still driveable for two wheel
vehicles.
The Thames to Kopu and Kopu to Kaiaua sections of the Hauraki Rail Trail are likely to be closed due to damage to the
foreshore stopbanks along which it runs. That damage will be inspected next week.
If you must travel, check NZTA's website here first for the latest information about road closures. You can also use their journey-planning website [http://www.onthemove.govt.nz] to plan the best route for your journey, taking into account known issues and traffic on state highways.
We'll also include updates on known local Council road closures here.If you see a Council road that is impassable due to flooding or a debris, call us on 07 868 0200.
Check MetService for the latest weather forecasts.
Waikato Regional Council has set up an online hub for rainfall and flood related information to help people more easily
keep up to date with severe weather events in the region.
It can be found at waikatoregion.govt.nz/flood-room
We will post regular updates on our Council's Facebook page as well as on our website and email newsletters.
We still have a Total Fire Ban in place until at least 8 February, which includes bonfires and fireworks. See www.tcdc.govt.nz/fire for more information.
The rain should help replenish reservoirs and water tanks, but we're still facing water restrictions due to high use and
also filtering sediment and silt that will be coming through from this weather event. We will be reassessing the
reservoir levels within the next 24 hours to see if restrictions need to be changed. See what restrictions apply on our
website www.tcdc.govt.nz/water.
The Shapeshifter concert in Whangamata is going ahead this evening. Click here to view the events on around the Coromandel and refer to specific sites for details.