Thames-Coromandel District Council has declared a precautionary state of emergency across the district due to severe rain and flooding with the potential to cause harm to people and property.
The declaration ensures a coordinated response to keep communities safe and gives local authorities special powers to take urgent action, including closing roads and controlling access to affected areas, evacuating people from high-risk locations, entering properties to carry out rescues or check on safety, and requisitioning resources to support the emergency response.
“The worst of this weather is yet to come,” Mayor Peter Revell said around midday on January 21. “Please take care of your neighbour, and check that the people around you, the people you know and love, are kept safe.”
The council also warned residents in low-lying areas to move to higher ground immediately.
Flooding is also affecting critical infrastructure across the district, with wastewater pump stations inundated and overflowing in multiple locations. Residents are being warned to treat all surface water as contaminated and to stay out of flooded areas.
Water supplies are also at risk, with the Matatoki, Puriri and Omahu water treatment plants potentially needing to shut down temporarily to clean filters due to high sediment levels in rivers and streams. A water tanker is available outside the Puriri Hotel to support the Thames Valley area as supplies are likely to be affected.
HAURAKI ALSO DECLARES EMERGENCY
Neighbouring Hauraki District has also declared a state of emergency as at 1.38pm on January 21 in response to the severe weather event. The declaration comes into force immediately and is set to expire after seven days.
It has been requested by Hauraki District Civil Defence Emergency Management local controller Campbell Moore and signed off by Mayor Toby Adams.
“The declaration allows us to prepare and respond as the weather event develops,” Adams says. “Helping our community prepare is essential. We have our infrastructure teams and emergency services on standby.”
An Emergency Mobile Alert advising of the declaration was sent at 11.15am to phones in Hauraki that were capable of receiving the alert.
WHITIANGA ISOLATED
In an urgent release, Thames-Coromandel District Council said the Coromandel Peninsula was experiencing significant rainfall with more rain expected today, January 21. Rivers and creeks are rising rapidly, it said.
“We ask campground owners to proactively stay alert and manage any of their hazards.”
Whitianga has already been cut off by flooding after persistent heavy rain swept through the Coromandel overnight, leaving the town inaccessible by road, while rising surface water has also forced campers at Cooks Beach Resort to move to higher ground.
Overnight between January 20 and 21, heavy rain fell across the North Island, with parts of the Coromandel Peninsula recording around a month’s worth of rainfall in just 12 hours.
The downpour has led to widespread flooding, road closures, and hazardous driving conditions across the region.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency confirmed in a January 21 update that State Highway 25 was now closed in both directions due to flooding. The highway has been shut south of Whitianga near Wade Rd, and between Discovery Dr and Simpson’s Beach, effectively cutting off access to the town from both the north and south.
The closures mean Whitianga can not be accessed via SH25, with motorists urged to avoid travel while conditions remain unsafe.
CATHEDRAL COVE CLOSED
The heavy rain has also prompted the Department of Conservation to close tracks to Mautohe Cathedral Cove and urge visitors not to go to the popular beach.
MetService issued a Red Heavy Rain Warning for the Coromandel, forecasting the weather system moving down the northern half of the North Island could dump up to 290mm of rain on the peninsula in a single day.
The warning was paired with a strong wind watch, with possible gales in exposed places.
DOC Coromandel Operations Manager Nick Kelly said it was prudent to close tracks to Cathedral Cove given the weather system’s impact.
“DOC’s priority for this site continues to be the safety of visitors and managing visitor risk. Poor weather exacerbates the landslide and rockfall risks at Mautohe Cathedral Cove.
“We strongly discourage people from visiting the cove while this weather system moves – the conditions make it unsafe. We do not want people getting hurt.”
Earlier, Thames-Coromandel District Council warned residents of forecasts showing 200-250mm of rain, especially over higher ground, could fall between January 20-22, with peak rates of 15-25 mm per hour on January 21. There was also a low risk of localised downpours up to 25-40 mm per hour.
Potential impacts included: rapidly rising streams and rivers; surface flooding and slips; and difficult driving conditions.
A REPEAT OF ’23
The storm is harking back to a similar weather event in 2023, when severe conditions battered the Thames-Coromandel district, causing widespread damage and long-term road closures.
During the first week of January that year, the district council reported more than 400mm of rain fell in just 72 hours, triggering slips and closing key routes.
Then, State Highway 25A between Kōpū and Hikuai, suffered significant damage when the road collapsed following Cyclone Gabrielle later that same month. The highway remained closed while a new bridge was built and reopened on December 20, 2023.
CRASH BLOCKS SH25A
Meanwhile, State Highway 25A is blocked just north of the intersection with State Highway 26 in Kopu following a crash.
The single vehicle crash, involving a truck, was reported at 2:15pm.
The driver has been seriously hurt.
The road is expected to be blocked for several hours and motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect ongoing delays.
SANDBAGS AVAILABLE
Sandbags are available for Thames-Coromandel residents affected by flooding from this weather event.
Anyone concerned about their property, especially those in low-lying areas or near waterways who haven’t already evacuated, can pick up sandbags from the following locations:
Thames
Sand available at: Shoppers Car Park, Queen Street
Bags available at: TCDC office, Mackay Street
Whangamatā
Sandbags available at: Whangamatā Fire Station, corner of Port and Oceans Roads (but you will need to fill these yourself)
Coromandel Town
Sandbags available at James Drainage, 1020 Tiki Road
Whitianga
Sandbags available at old fire station, 20 Monk Street
ROAD CLOSURES IN THAMES-COROMANDEL
Kennedy Bay Road – Near Mangatu Road / School RP
Blackjack Road, closed at Otama Beach – RP 3500 (Flooding)
Hot Water Beach Road – Road Closure set up at the SH on Hot Water Beach Road and again at Purangi Road/Hot Water Beach Intersection (Flooding)
Colville Road- south of Colville Store
Waikawau Bech Road – Waikawau Beach Road
Kaimarama Road – Start of road
Hikuai Settlement Road
Waterways Parade – roundabout entering Pauanui
Purangi Road
Opoutere Road – Start of Opoutere Road
The 309 Road – Outside Peninsula Quarry – RP 19840 (Whitianga Side)
BY KELLEY TANTAU
