Whakatane District Council says those living on Gow Rd need to evacuate immediately. As Whakatane District enters its second day in a state of emergency local authorities say some 2200 people are currently holed up in homes in isolated communities unable to go anywhere. Waterways in the eastern Bay of Plenty were monitored through the night, with the Rangitaiki River the main concern. The council says water is still coming through the breach on College Rd in Edgecumbe. The council has used storage capacity at Matahina Lake to reduce the river flow by about 12 per cent.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 06, 2017 17:44 UTC