Farmers grab valuables and get out

Josh Adam carries a gas bottle from his Henley sheep, beef and dairy farm with wife Ellie-May Adam (right) last night. Photo/Stephen Jaquiery

Farmers on the Taieri Plains were given two hours to grab valuables and "just go" as a swollen river was set to breach last night.

Josh Adam said Civil Defence staff visited his sheep, beef and dairy farm in Henley about 9.30pm and gave him and his wife Ellie-May two hours to evacuate as the Taieri River was about to breach.

The decision to "just go" from the farm in Henley Rd was easy, Mr Adam said.

"I'd rather get out while we can."

But first Mr Adam called in his "mates", who lived across the Taieri, to help move valuables to higher ground.

"We just threw everything up on the beds and hoped for the best."

The couple decided to spend last night at Mr Adam's parents house "up on the hill, about 3km up the road".

Treasured items, such as wedding photos, were taken with them.

When they left, at the end of the driveway "a slip was halfway across" a flooded road.

Mr Adam had hoped the farm "dodged a bullet" when the rain fell lightly yesterday morning because when it did flood "it usually got us pretty good".

The farm flooded in 1980 and floodwater entered the house.

"If we get a big one it will come in the house."

He was unsure if he would return to a flooded house today.

The sheep and cattle were on some of the 400ha of hill country on the farm and the dairy cows were "on the pad" on the 192ha dairy farm.

The priority today would be getting the stock fed, he said.

"I'll keep them fed and then just watch the flood."

Taieri River bridge in Outram this morning. Photo/Stephen Jaquiery

The flooding on the Taieri, near Dunedin, is the second worst on record, the Otago Regional Council says.

The Otago region woke to severe flooding, slips and other damage and multiple road closures after a night of heavy rain that continued this morning.

Aerial surveys of flooding in coastal Otago are under way. There is widespread flooding and disruption across Waitaki, Dunedin and Clutha, as well as flooding and snow in parts of Central Otago.

Peak river flows are moving downstream and predicted to coincide with high tide at Taieri Mouth about 1pm today.

Flood managers from the Otago Regional Council are modelling the impact that will have on approximately 100 homes in the area. Clutha District Civil Defence staff have alerted residents.

The Lindsay Creek in Dunedin is also being closely monitored due to its proximity to the Otago Hospice.

Overall, about 220 homes were evacuated overnight across the region from Oamaru to Milton and inland to the Ida Valley. Around 100 of those are in Outram near Dunedin airport.

There is still widespread disruption to roads and highways across Otago. The Otago Peninsula is isolated by slips.

Rain is still falling steadily in most places with MetService predicting another 30-50mm could fall in North Otago today. Group Controller Scott MacLean said that at one Dunedin site, 225mm of rain fell in less than 24 hours, compared to the average rainfall of 45-50mm for the whole of July. Heavy snow is also now predicted for inland Otago later today.

There are power outages in Berwick, Henley, Leith Valley, Mt Cargill, Swampy Summit, Maori Hill and Woodhaugh. Delta has crews out assessing the damage.

The Minister of Civil Defence, Nathan Guy, is scheduled to visit Dunedin later this morning and will join Group Controller Chris Hawker and Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull on an aerial inspection of flooded areas.