School’s out as floodwaters rise

Flooding in the Wairarapa has forced a Carterton school to close early, as the rapidly rising Ruamahanga River threatens to close State Highway 53 into Martinborough.

Heavy rainfall in the Tararua Range caused many Wairarapa rivers to run extremely high yesterday and led to surface flooding in some areas.

The Kaipatangata Stream in Carterton recorded its highest level in a year and overflowed its banks, blocking Dalefield Rd.

Carterton District Council infrastructure, planning and regulatory manager Dave Gittings said it sent a digger to clear the stream culvert under the road, and expected the flooding to recede.

‘‘There’s a fair bit of rain in the hills there coming down.’’

Nearby, Dalefield School closed early because of flooding.

Caution signs were in place just north of Carterton with some floodwater encroaching the road at the Chester Rd intersection.

The Ruamahanga River was steadily rising and by 3pm yesterday had reached 4 metres at Waihenga Bridge near Martinborough.

The bridge is part of the main western access point to the town on SH53.

A South Wairarapa District Council staff member said it expected to close the bridge about 4.30pm. There were alternative routes into Martinborough via Kahutara to the south or Ponatahi to the north.

More than 100mm of rain had been recorded at several places in the Tararua Range in the 24 hours since it started on Sunday afternoon.

Most rivers in Wairarapa are running high, including the Waipoua through Masterton.

Dalefield Rd, near Carterton, was closed yesterday because of spill from the Kaipatangata Stream.