13 Jun 2018

Civil Defence Minister in Gisborne after storm hits region

From Morning Report, 7:21 am on 13 June 2018

The worst of the heavy rain and strong winds have passed Gisborne, but hundreds of people spent the night without power. Eastland Network says they can't reconnect about 660 houses until later on Wednesday. Civil Defence says rivers have peaked. About fifty roads remain shut in the Gisborne region after heavy rain caused flooding, slips and trees to fall. State Highway 2 has opened north of Gisborne. But State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupo is shut, along with the Hastings to Taihape inland road. And at the top of the South Island, State Highway One on both sides of Kaikoura has been closed overnight. Kris Faafoi is the Minister of Civil Defence and was in Gisborne to see the damage for himself. He talks to Guyon Espiner.