Residents of Selwyn Hutts near Christchurch are evacuated as stop banks fail
Residents in flood-ravaged parts of the South Island will have a temporary reprieve from the big wet today - before more heavy downpours return on Monday.
States of emergency were declared and hundreds of homes evacuated over the past 36 hours in Christchurch, Dunedin, Timaru and the Selwyn district.
Christchurch was among the worst hit yesterday, with Heathcote River flooding into nearby streets and properties.
A state of emergency remained in place this morning. The rain has stopped but crews were monitoring flooding overnight. The next high tide is at 4.15pm.
However, the flooded Hendersons Basin, Hoon Hay Valley and Cashmere-Worsley Valley may take days to drain through the Heathcote River
The west and eastern parts of the South Island are in the firing line.
"The other thing to watch out for is the wind starting to pick up ahead of that front, come Monday," Marsters said.
States of emergency remained in place for Christchurch, Dunedin, Waitaki, Selwyn and the wider Otago region last night after floodwaters forced hundreds out of their homes. Road closures and power outages were widespread.
In Christchurch, local body officials urged residents who hadn't evacuated to limit the use of water to a minimum. Several wastewater pump stations had been flooded and were not keeping up with the inflow, meaning wastewater was flowing into streets.
All eyes were on the Heathcote River in Christchurch as residents were asked to leave low-lying ahead of high tide.
Christchurch residents watched nervously as the Heathcote River began rising yesterday. Photo/SNPA/David Alexander
Soldiers were called in and response teams sent out on boats to help people evacuate.
Residents were also warned to stay away from the fast-rising Selwyn River in Canterbury, with a number of families evacuated from nearby homes.
The wild weather prompted police to ask Canterbury residents to stay home and avoid unnecessary rubbernecking.
"Just please be aware that by heading out in these conditions you could end up taking valuable emergency services away from critical rescue operations," said senior sergeant James Bothamley.
Flooding near the Heathcote River in Christchurch. Photo/SNPA/David Alexander
Further south, the state of emergency was lifted in Timaru just as the rain eased in Dunedin on Saturday afternoon.
Dunedin remains under a state of emergency on Sunday, but the focus is now on recovery and clean-up efforts after the severe storm.
Dunedin City Council staff and contractors would be busy again today with clean-ups and repairs following significant damage in parts of the wider city caused by heavy rain that began early on Friday afternoon and flooding.
Dozens of residents evacuated from flooded areas including the Henley township, the lower part of Outram and other parts of the Taieri Plain and Mosgiel spent a second night away from their homes, but the situation would be re-assessed on Sunday to see if they could return, Civil Defence said.
The highest rainfall in the country since midnight Thursday, was recorded in Swampy Spur, Dunedin, where more than 250mm of rain fell.
Daniel de Garnham, of Timaru, makes use of his kayak on State Highway 1 during the storm. Photo/Alexia Johnston
Residents in Timaru have begun cleaning up the muddy remnants of the storm and preparing for the possibility of more rain in the coming week.
Civil Defence personnel remained on high alert in Dunedin last night as the Taieri River reached record levels, slips cut off residents and closed roads.
More than 100 homes were evacuated from the plains near the river in the middle of the night on Friday.
Civil Defence staff visited Josh Adam's sheep, beef and dairy farm in Henley about 9.30pm and gave him and wife Ellie-May two hours to evacuate the property, he said.
"We just threw everything up on the beds and hoped for the best," Adams told the Otago Daily Times.
Rising waters of the Taieri River at Outram Bridge, where residents were evacuated due to flooding. Photo/Civil Defence
At 4.30am on Saturday flood levels at Outram, a rural town near Dunedin, were at the second highest level ever recorded and the river was still rising, officials said.
Soldiers were called to help with the chaos in Otago, including rescuing nine people trapped in and on cars on State Highway 87 early Saturday morning. A unimog transported the occupants to safety.
"The information at this stage suggests this will be one of the biggest floods on record in the Taieri," Civil Defence Controller Sue Bidrose said.
Auckland has also been hit with heavy showers, including hail and thunderstorms yesterday, in a month with just two rain-free days so far.
There will also be a brief respite for the North Island on Sunday before the front reaches western areas by tomorrow evening. The overnight front was forecast to move away from the North Island by Tuesday morning.
