Care advised On Rodney's roads

Last night's heavy rain has made driving on Rodney's road treacherous. The Council's emergency operations team has recommended that you delay all unnecessary travel and some schools in the north of Rodney have closed because of the driving conditions.

If driving, take care because there is wide-spread flooding, slips, debris on the road and there are pot-holes developing on some roads.

The Council contractors are working as swiftly as possible to clear roads and repair damage and regular updates will appear on the Rodney District Council website - check out Storm Watch Update & current road closures.

Other sites that will be monitoring the situation include:
http://www.metservice.co.nz/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/

Council's general advice to the community if the weather deteriorates significantly is to:

• Stay indoors and off the roads, particularly at night.
• Stay away from the coastline and beaches.
• Stay well clear of fallen power lines or damaged electrical equipment and treat them as live at all times.
• Watch out for falling tree branches as these can cause damage to power lines.
• Avoid possible damage to electrical appliances (in the unlikely event there is a power surge when the power is restored) by switching off appliances at the wall.
• Keep a torch, portable radio and spare batteries handy and ensure that you have at least one telephone that does not rely on electricity for operation.
• Ensure that an alternate fuel is always available for cooking (e.g. gas for BBQ).
• People using medical equipment that relies on electricity should ensure they are prepared for power disruptions and if there is an immediate health threat, contact their health provider or call 111.
• Report any power outages to your electricity supplier (name and number on your electricity bill) not Vector and not the council.