February 24, 2023
Dam risk forces Tologa Bay evacuation
Tairawhiti Civil Defence controller Ben Green says heavy rain is falling this morning on East Coast townships hard hit by last week’s cyclone.
Road blocks have also been set up to stop access to areas of concern around the Mangahauini River catchment and Tokomaru Bay.
Sixty four homes in the Tolaga Bay have been evacuated in case dam formed from a Cyclone Gabrielle landslide fails.
He says the dam is a mix of soil, wood and trees.
“Really getting some soil scientists and experts across this thing as soon as we can. That will then determine if there is anything we can do to reduce this risk. In the meantime we have evacauted whanau out of that area until we have a pathway to determine what and how we can deal with the risk then,” Mr Green says.