Tauranga City Council has activated its Emergency Operations Centre due to heavy rain and strong wind warnings for the Bay of Plenty, and is actively monitoring the situation.

"Our staff and contractors are keeping a watchful eye on the situation and are ready to respond to any issue," says a council spokesperson.

The heavy rain and strong wind warnings are for the period from 9am Monday February 13 to 3pm,Tuesday February 14, because of Cyclone Gabrielle.

"If you live in low-lying areas prone to flooding, including the coast and harbourside, please take steps to protect yourself and your property as there is a risk of storm surge flooding and erosion."

Council staff are advising residents to be prepared to self-evacuate to family and friends if needed in the first instance.

"If any evacuation of people is required, please follow all instructions from Bay of Plenty Civil Defence. Emergency shelters will be activated if required, and details will be provided."

Links Ave

Links Avenue, Mount Maunganui will be open to all traffic on Monday and Tuesday to assist with traffic flow around the Mount Maunganui area.

Rubbish collection on Monday

Kerbside collections scheduled for Monday will go ahead as usual.

"Please don't put out your bins until Monday morning and bring them in as soon as you can," says a council spokesperson.

"Please assist your neighbours by bringing in their bins too if you can. This situation will be reviewed again for Tuesday collections.

Sandbags

"Our supply of sandbags has been exhausted and we do not have any available tonight. We will have an update on sandbags in the morning [Monday]."

Information on where to purchase sandbags is available on the council's website: www.tauranga.govt.nz/community/civil-defence/sandbags.

Preparing for the worst

Cyclones bring high winds so prepare to tie down your trampolines and secure outdoor furniture (including barbecues), as well as checking your gutters and clearing your drains, says a council spokesperson.

"Other tips include having a grab bag ready and having enough supplies for tide you over for a few days if we experience any power outages and disruption to our roading and water networks. This includes having enough supplies to care for your pets."

More information about how to get ready can be found on council's website: www.tauranga.govt.nz/community/civil-defence

"If you think any of your whānau, friends or neighbours might need help with some this, please get in touch and offer a helping hand."

Other important places to get information:
www.facebook.com/MetService for weather updates
www.facebook.com/BOPCivilDefence for emergency updates
www.facebook.com/NZTAWaikatoBoP for road closures and slips

Stay connected:
Listen to your local radio station
Shout-out to your neighbours on your local Facebook community noticeboard if you need any help.
If you need to report an issue, call Tauranga City Council contact centre 24/7 on 07 577 7000.
If life is in danger, call 111 immediately.