February 14, 2023
Ōpōtiki clears beach residents as storm surge looms
The Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki councils declared states of emergency early yesterday and urged hundreds to residents in low lying coastal areas to evacuate.
Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore says he declared the emergency early to avoid having to evacuate people in the dark, when Cyclone Gabrielle was expected to bring storm surges to the area.
“It was really just to get everything as prepared as possible, hope for the best but be prepared anyway,” he says.
Rikirangi Gage, the chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Te Whānau a Apanui, says marae along the coast threw open their doors and encouraged whānau to evacuate.