Severe
flooding hits West Coast
Flooding has forced the evacuation of a number of properties in Hokitika including a rest home.
Flooding
in Hokitika Photo: Twitter / @pandasport
19 June, 2015
Heavy
rain has been falling on the West Coast since early yesterday as part
of the winter
storm which is affecting large parts of the South Island.
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the weather like where you are? Share your pictures or video with us
by email iwitness@radionz.co.nz
About
400mm (15.7 inches) of rain fell on the West Coast in the 24 hours to 6am.
West
Coast Civil Defence regional manager Chris Raine said the rest home
was threatened by floodwaters late last night and 40 residents had to
be moved out.
Some
were taken to another rest home, while others were taken to Greymouth
Hospital.
There
is serious flooding in Hokitika's central business district, and
about four residential properties have been evacuated.
Mr
Raine said many streams had broken their banks and a close watch was
being kept on rivers in the district, including the Grey River in
Greymouth which is running very high.
The
river rose to 5.5 meters (216 inches) early this morning and was predicted to peak
about 10m.
Grey
District Council mayor Tony Kokshoorn told Morning Report the area
had been hit hard.
He
said he was pretty sure the rain was easing off now, and the rivers
were remaining within their banks.
"We're
pretty sure it is easing off now and the rivers are containing the
water within theit banks."
Mr
Kokshoorn said they would make another assessment before 8am.
Hokitika
reisdent Max Dowell said his garage had been flooded.
He
said his personal rain gauge records 241mm of rain gas fallen on his
home in the past 24 hours.
"It
has stopped now, but we've got a lot of drying out to do."
Mr
Dowell said Hokitika's drains had not coped with the amount of rain
and were overflowing.
Roads
in the region were flooded leaving communities isolated.
State
Highway 6 between Hokitika and Greymouth is suitable for four wheel
drive vehicles only and there is flooding on the road south of
Hokitika.
Worst flooding I've ever seen in Hokitika, streets flooded, very very wet coast day!! Big wide roads waste deep pic.twitter.com/HQmNei34VK
— Bailey Thompson (@baileyt999) June 18, 2015
Elsewhere
in the South Island many roads were still closed after yesterday's
snowfall.
About
1800 Alpine Energy customers were without power overnight in freezing
conditions.
Company
spokesman Michael Boorer said snow had damaged the Fairlie network,
in the Mackenzie District in Canterbury, and power was cut at about
5pm last night.
He
said it was too dangerous for crews to work on the damaged network
overnight but would start again this morning.
The
MetService meteorologist Rebekah LaBar said the snow level in
Canterbury and Otago would "gradually rise today" from
about 200 metres to 500 meters.
"The
worst is over but I hate to say that it's going to be improving a
whole lot.
"It's
still going to be a pretty rainy, showery time."
She
said snow got down to lower levels than expected yesterday, with the
Canterbury towns of Ashburton and Timaru both receiving snow showers.
Most
inland state highways were closed overnight and parts of the West
Coast, particularly from the Fox Glacier to Haast, experienced
flooding because of heavy rain.
Ms
LaBar said rain and snow would continue today for parts of Canterbury
and Otago but the cold front would slowly move north.
The
cold front will make its way up the country bringing wind and heavy
rain to the Kapiti Coast and to Wellington, later today.
Snow
in Twizel on 18 June 2015 Photo: Instagram
/ faneybelle
Meteorologist
Rob Kerr said the storm was moving north with up to 250 millimetres
expected in the next 24 hours in the Tararua Ranges and up to 100
millimetres on the Kapiti coast.
Road
disruptions due to weather at 6.30am this morning:
Closed roads
- SH 6 Haast To Makarora Road closed due to snow update by 10am
- SH 7 Reefton To Greymouth At Stillwater - Road closed by flooding
- SH 7 Waipara To Springs Junction ( Lewis Pass) - Road closed due to snow - update by 10am
- SH 73 Arthurs Pass To Otira (Arthurs Pass) - Road closed due to snow - update by 10am
- SH 73 Springfield To Arthurs Pass (Porters Pass) - Road closed due to snow - update by 10am
- SH 79 Geraldine To Fairlie - Road closed due to snow
- SH 8 Lindis Pass, Tarras To Omarama (Lindis Pass) - Road closed due to snow - update by 7am
- SH 8 Pleasant Point To Twizel - Road closed due to snow
- SH 80 Mount Cook Highway - Road closed due to snow
- SH 94 Te Anau To Milford - Road closed due to snow - update by 7.30am
Other restrictions
- SH94 Mossburn, Southland - Surface flooding - Extra Care required through Mossburn
- SH 6 Fox Glacier To Haast - Surface flooding - Extra Care required Flooding
- SH 6 Harihari To Fox Glacier - Surface flooding - Extra Care required Flooding
- SH 6 Hokitika To Harihari - Surface flooding - Extra Care required Flooding
- SH 87 Outram To Kyeburn - Vehicle restrictions and chains essential, closed to towing vehicles, due to snow
- SH 77 Darfield To Methven - Vehicle restrictions and chains essential, closed to towing vehicles, due to snow
- SH 77 Methven To Ashburton - Vehicle restrictions and chains essential, closed to towing vehicles, due to snow
- SH 85 Palmerston To Kyeburn - Vehicle restrictions and chains essential, closed to towing vehicles, due to snow
- SH 6 Lumsden To Kingston - Winter driving conditions - Extra care required due to snow
- SH 6 Queenstown To Cromwell - Winter driving conditions - Extra care required due to snow
- SH 83 Kurow To Omarama - Winter driving conditions - Extra care required due to snow
- SH 85 Kyeburn To Ranfurly - Winter driving conditions - Extra care required due to snow
- SH 1 Kilmog, Northern Motorway Dunedin - Winter driving conditions - Extra care required over the Kilmog due to snow
See video HERE
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