Weather Saturday: Thousands of homes without power after another night of wild weather
Tasman Mayor Tim King says areas hit hard two weeks ago have gone from "a bit of a cleanup job" to needing "a complete rebuild" after the latest rain.
King appeared to choke up as he spoke to media on Saturday afternoon about the devastation.
"I've spent my whole life in this community... it's pretty heartbreaking when you have these conversations with people... there's that sense of, where do you even start?"
MetService says the front has moved eastwards away from New Zealand, and it has lifted most of its severe weather warnings and watches. But unsettled conditions will continue to affect many parts of the country through the weekend with periods of heavy rain in the west of the South Island.
Meanwhile, Civil Defence is asking Kaiteriteri and Riwaka residents to continue to conserve water due to a problem with the water supply line.
RNZ is New Zealand's statutory civil defence lifeline radio broadcaster, providing vital information and updates as they come to hand.
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RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Tasman flooding: Council says most of its annual budget spent in a fortnight
About 40 roads remain closed in the Tasman District following widespread flooding and slips. Photo: Supplied/ Jodie Reed The Tasman District Council says most of its annual budget has been spent in a fortnight after being ravaged by heavy rain and flooding. The clean-up has been continuing in the waterlogged district following a month of historic rainfall, culminating in last week's destructive storm that has caused widespread damage. The costs have already been swelling with up to $500,000 being absorbed daily on fixing the local roading network. The state of emergency is expected to be lifted on Thursday ahead of a one-month recovery transition period. The council's community infrastructure and group recovery manager Richard Kirby told Morning Report the district 's infrastructure was facing a repair bill of "between $20-25 million". He said about 40 roads remain shut. "Up to 200 people, about 15 heavy machines and trucks, all over the district opening roads," he said. "Hopefully we'll have them open in the next couple of weeks." The most arduous obstacle for council contractors was the type of material they had to shift, particularly in the Motueka Valley. "It's just like porridge slipping off the hills. As soon as they push it more comes down," Kirby said. "That's an ongoing challenge. It's all on at the moment." There were further challenges underneath slips where roads had been washed out, and bridge approaches, Kirby said. In Kaiteriteri, a geotechnical assessment was needed to ensure a slip could be stabilised and the damaged road beneath could be reinstated. Kirby said the busier roads presented the biggest challenges, compared to the quieter back-country roads. He later told RNZ that the annual budget would likely be all gone by next month. Earlier on Morning Report, he said the council would be requesting financial assistance from the New Zealand Transport Agency. "We'll be making a bid to NZTA and seeing if we can get some extra subsidy. "Although we're opening roads, we still have to go back and do permanent repairs. That'll probably take 18 months or even two years to complete." The council said the critical stopbank in the Motueka Valley had "held up really" well following government-funded upgrades. Some erosion of stopbanks had occurred in Tapawera area on the Motueka and Motupiko rivers. "The river teams are up there just to see what urgent areas need repaired in the event we have another rainfall," Kirby said. "They're prioritising what work they need to do to get some resilience into those riverbanks." An apple orchard has flooded on SH60 in Motueka. Photo: SAMUEL RILLSTONE / RNZ A fruit and vegetable delivery company is warning of a spike to the cost of vegetables around the country following the destructive weather. Produce prices would sharply increase in the coming months due to the knock on effects of widespread flooding, particularly in the Tasman district last week. Co-founder of fruit and vegetable rescue company Wonky Box Angus Simms told Morning Report the effects would not be felt for another two to three months. After a string of bad weather in recent weeks across the top of the South, growers have reported a delay in planting, he said. "The immediate effects we haven't necessarily seen. Growers have been able to get into fields, they've been able to harvest. They've been able to make that work. "Whereas actual planting delays will be happening here which is going to have an ongoing effect later on down the line." Simms said the shortage would be likely be seen with green vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli, and less so with root vegetables. Produce had begun to "steady out" at a retail level following Cyclone Gabrielle. "What we're seeing in the green space already is greens are slowing and values are coming back for growers," Simms said. Fruit production is considered a jewel in the Tasman district's local economy and a major export industry. Harvesting of fruit products including apples and pears finished a few months ago, Simms said. "Anything that's already been picked and harvested has been stored," he said. "The products that have been stored tend to be safe." Some fruit growers were facing repairs of their infrastructure ahead of next season, Simms said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Storm damage closes Tasman's Great Taste biking trail until further notice
The Wai-iti River after flooding in the Tasman region in June 2025. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ Tasman's Great Taste biking trail has suffered more than $2 million of damage due to flooding and slips from the extreme weather in Nelson-Tasman. The Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust said sections of the trail had been reopened since the first deluge in June , but now those sections have been impacted again following Friday's flooding. "We are dealing with multiple weather events in close succession, which is making it extremely difficult to fully assess the state of the trail, let alone begin repairs in some areas," said trail manager Belinda Crisp. "Safety and access are our top priorities, and in many places the trail is currently unsafe or inaccessible due to slips, flooding, windfall, roading closures and structural issues." The 200 kilometre trail has been closed until further notice as bridges have been washed away , but work is underway to open the safe parts of the path. "There are parts of the trail that have been washed away, and rebuilding them in the same spot may no longer be viable," said Crisp. Crisp said the trail is a lifeline for the local economy, bringing in $34m annually, with many small businesses relying on visitors who come and ride the trail. The trust is currently preparing cost estimates for repair and reconstruction. "We are fortunate that a national fund exists through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to support cycle trail recovery after extreme weather events," said trust chair Gillian Wratt. "However, it's still too early to know whether that funding will cover the full cost of the necessary work. "We know how important the trail is to the region - particularly for small and medium tourism-related businesses - and we are committed to having as much of the trail as possible operational by summer. "That said, some sections will require time due to engineering challenges, consenting, or access renegotiations," Wratt said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
7 hours ago
- RNZ News
Extreme rain and flash flooding kills at least 2 people in eastern US
By Luke Snyder, Amanda Musa and Alex Stambaugh , CNN The Cross Bronx Expressway in the Bronx has all lanes closed due to flooding, leading to traffic jams on the New Jersey side of the bridge in Fort Lee. Photo: KYLE MAZZA / AFP Intense rain swamped the US East Coast on Monday, setting off dangerous flash flooding from Virginia to New York that killed at least two people and prompted dozens of rescues as water overwhelmed roads and subways. Monday (local time) saw the most flash flood warnings ever issued in a single July day, with nearly 100 issued, primarily across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Flooding was reported near Newark, New Jersey, New York City, northern Virginia and southern Maryland, according to the National Weather Service. Two people died in Plainfield, New Jersey, after a vehicle was swept away by floodwater, Union County spokesperson Kelly Martins told CNN in a statement. Authorities responded to reports of the submerged vehicle around 2:30am on Tuesday, Martins said. Union County police assisted with 19 water rescues and the county's regional communications centre received over 1200 emergency calls in just two hours during the height of the storm, she added. The area saw rainfall totals between 3 to 5 inches. More rain is expected on Tuesday across the southern Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic. Storms in the East on Tuesday will be more scattered and less intense than Monday's, but they could still bring some heavy rain wherever they bubble up - and with the ground already soaked in these areas, as little as an inch of additional rain could set off more flooding. Showers on Monday dominated the Northeast by the latter half of the day and the heaviest storms arrived by early evening, threatening rush hour commuters. New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency due to the flooding on Monday night, warning residents to "remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary". The governor on Tuesday noted some roadways remained closed as crews worked to "clear debris, make emergency road repairs, and remove abandoned cars caught in last night's flooding". New York City experienced its second wettest hour on record Monday night after a little over two inches (51mm) fell between 7pm and 8pm local time. This record is only beaten by the approximately three-and-a-half inches (89mm) of rain recorded during the remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2021 . New York City received a total of 2.64 inches (67mm) of rain, shattering its previous record for 14 July rainfall set in 1908. Videos on social media showed water gushing onto platforms in New York's subway and flowing through subway cars as passengers crouched on seats. At least one subway station was flooded by the deluge, according to a spokesperson with the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Several trains were also suspended, delayed or rerouted due to the flooding, according to MTA's website . Metro-North Railroad and New Jersey Transit said on their X accounts that they were also experiencing delays due to flooding. Several airports in the New York City area issued temporary ground stops and delays on Monday evening, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and impacts were also reported at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Boston Logan International Airport. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, cars struggled to navigate flooded streets, according to videos on social media, with multiple people needing to be assisted, according to authorities. North Plainfield, New Jersey, Mayor Lawrence La Ronde told CNN affiliate WABC emergency crews rescued people from at least 30 homes, after streets became completely flooded and were impassable. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 16 water rescues were reported in Mount Joy Township Monday afternoon, according to the Mount Joy Fire Department. "Starting around 2:00pm, intense rainfall dropped over seven inches (178mm) of rain in less than five hours, overwhelming stormwater infrastructure and inundating portions of the borough," the fire department said in a Facebook post. "The west end of town was hardest hit, with reports of over five feet of water (1.5m) in some homes." In Virginia, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency - the most severe flood warning - late Monday into early Tuesday for the cities of Petersburg and Colonial Heights, where upwards of two to three inches (76mm) of rain fell in less than two hours. One gauge near downtown Petersburg showed the Lieutenant Run Creek rose more than 10 feet (3.04m) in two hours between 10pm and midnight Monday, reaching major flood stage. Water levels have since dropped. "Many neighbourhoods are underwater," with downed trees and power lines, Petersburg Fire Rescue & Emergency Services said in a Facebook post Tuesday morning. Crews were working through the night, "pulling people from flooded cars, responding to medical emergencies, clearing downed trees, and still answering every call for help," the department said. More showers are expected to develop in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Tuesday afternoon, with a band of strong storms to stretch from northern Georgia to central Maryland. Central and eastern Virginia, western North Carolina and southern portions of Maryland and Delaware are most at risk for heavy rain, though these storms will not be as extreme as those on Monday. Storms with the heaviest rain will arrive by Tuesday evening. They will likely move slowly, and rainfall rates of more than two inches per hour could be possible. Showers will start dissipating on Tuesday night, clearing up in the region by early Wednesday. Weather will remain quiet until showers once again move through the Carolinas and Pennsylvania Wednesday afternoon. Exactly where and when these storms will develop is still uncertain, but it will not take much rain to cause sudden flooding in places where the ground is already saturated. The highest threat of flash flooding is along and east of the Blue Ridge mountains. Much of the area impacted by flooding Monday had seen up to 300 percent of their normal rainfall over the past two weeks. Record-breaking flood events have happened nearly back-to-back in recent weeks, most notably in Texas' Hill Country, where more than 130 people died after catastrophic flooding on 4 July . New Mexico, North Carolina and other East Coast states have also seen life-threatening floods and historic rainfall this month. More than 3000 flash flood warnings have been issued so far this year by National Weather Service offices around the country, with the current count higher than any previous year through 14 July since such records began in 1986. Overwhelming rainfall is becoming more prevalent in a warming world, as rising global temperatures drive weather toward extremes. Hourly rainfall rates have grown heavier in nearly 90 percent of large US cities since 1970, according to a recent study from the nonprofit research group Climate Central. Storms thrive on warm, moist air, and with the nation approaching peak summer heat, this month has seen the perfect conditions for flooding rain. -CNN
