Residents fight flooding together

Residents of Carysfort Street this morning banded together in an effort to keep rising water levels out of their homes.

The Mount Maunganui street was one of many areas across the Western Bay to suffer severe flooding today as thunderstorms and torrential rain lashed the region.


One of the younger residents making the most of the flooding.

Resident Steve Robinson woke up to the thunder and wind and knew what lay ahead. In the 10 years Steve has lived there with his wife, their garage had flooded almost every year.

Last year's April floods caused the couple more than $20,000 in damage.

'Today we work up early because the thunderstorms, but we knew what we were in for. We've been going through this for about 10 years now.”

Steve says Tauranga City Council has attempted to solve the issue, to no success.

'The council has done some remedial work for the property to try and keep the water out, but that hasn't worked.

'What we've done is put a hump in the driveway, about two feet high from the road level, and that kept it at bay, but only just.”

Well-practiced in storm damage prevention, Steve says the couple got dressed and immediately began removing stuff from the garage floor.

'The rest of it was helping out the neighbours. Next door is flooded. The junction opposite our house was waist deep. It's out of control.”

Steve says it's a street-wide effort every time flooding occurs, which is nice to see but disappointing when it shouldn't be their responsibility.

"The kids came out and unblocked the drains. It's just a bit weird that the residents have to do it, we called the council but they never showed up.”

Steve says the water came within inches of flooding their garage but they appear to have had a lucky escape this time.

But it wasn't all bad – with residents making the most of a poor situation.

'We got the inflatable out, there was nothing else we could do.

'We picked the kid up from over the road and took him for a row around. Before we knew it there were three other boats and a canoe.”

Streets in Papamoa and Mount Maunganui were among the worst affected by this morning's flooding.

Tauranga Police Sergeant Simone Mills says police were also made aware of further flooding in Maunaganui Road, Tui Street, Links Ave and Tay Street.

Fire Service Northern Communications shift manager Scott Osmond says fire fighters answered 28 flood-related call-outs to Mount Maunganui and Papamoa this morning.

About 41.4mm of rain fell in Tauranga from 8am- 10am this morning, according to the MetService.

SunLive readers sent in many photos of flooding. View their images here. Below are more photos from Carysfort Street this morning.







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3 comments

Overit

Posted on 18-04-2014 17:07 | By overit

This is just terrible-imagine living with the fear of this. And the Council have not been able to fix it......


wet

Posted on 19-04-2014 07:15 | By peecee09

My Goldfish are totally over it . They are absolutely saturated


Fri Morn

Posted on 19-04-2014 10:23 | By Capt_Kaveman

thunder n lightning accompanied with lots of rain i was out 7am roads flooding and not a drain cleaner in sight, "we called the council but they never showed up.”" they to busy overseas ant they? this has been my voice for quite sometime its about being out there not sitting at home looking out the window (council and council contractors)this is where service like these need to stay within the council on having a flood protection divison


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