Nelson residents ready for another deluge

These householders in Glenduan, northeast of Nelson, aren't taking any chances, stockpiling sandbags in case their area is hit by floods. Photo / Tim Cuff

Nervous residents are asking for sandbags as Nelson braces for more flooding in the wake of torrential rain that caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.

The MetService has issued a severe weather warning for Nelson and wider Tasman District, predicting up to 200mm of rain could fall in hills and ranges in the 36 hours from 3pm today.

Eighty to 120mm is possible in lower- lying areas, which could cause rivers to rise rapidly, and flooding or slips.

"We need it like we need a hole in the head right now," said Tasman District Council civil defence group controller Jim Frater.

Floods earlier this month caused hundreds of landslips and 38 homes remain uninhabitable.

"We've got areas where we have had substantial slips ... where there are cracks opened up in the ground - the last thing that they need is to get more water on them," Mr Frater said.

"We've also got streams that have moved off course and into places where they could cause trouble if substantial water got into them."

Geotech engineers had been assessing areas of greatest concern where there might be further landslips.

Residents had asked for sandbags, but these were being given out "on a needs basis".

Mr Frater said they had been urged not to interfere with slips without checking with experts in case they ended up with "a hell of a lot more stuff down on top of you. Or you could damage your neighbour's property, and you would then be responsible for cleaning that up as well".

Neil Stewart, whose holiday home in Golden Bay got more than a metre of water through it in the floods - on top of earthquake damage to his own home in Christchurch - is not concerned about the chance of more flooding.

He viewed this month's deluge as a freak event. "It was just an amazing flood they had."