A state of emergency has been declared across the Nelson-Tasman region and parts of Marlborough, as heavy rain continues to batter the upper South Island.
An Orange Heavy Rain Warning issued by MetService remains in place for Marlborough through to 6pm this evening. MetService says an active front is moving slowly across the North Island and upper South Island, bringing a sustained period of heavy rainfall.
Reports of some whānau having to evacuate across Te Tauihu o Te Waka have raised concern for local iwi Ngāti Kuia, who are closely monitoring the situation.
Ngāti Kuia operations manager Shannon Huntley says he was fortunate to get out before damage to State Highway 6 would have prevented him from leaving the area. Despite the intensity of the downpour, he says it’s not out of the ordinary.
“Last night the river came up to 1000 cubic metres per second. It’s not the highest it’s been, but it’s still up there, the worst of it is passed.”
“The road’s currently closed, State Highway 6, the river has breached its banks, it’s just across the road, I just made it out of there in time.”
The region has already experienced significant rainfall, and there remains uncertainty around the event’s duration and severity.
Huntley, who also oversees a local campground, says safety concerns prompted a full evacuation.
“There is no one in the campground currently. I had a look down there this morning and the river has breached into the campgrounds. It’s not even accessible at this stage.”
Te Hora Marae is serving as the designated Civil Defence Centre should any whānau need to evacuate. Huntley is urging caution as conditions remain unstable.
“Rain is expected to continue until tonight, high tide is round about now. It’s expected that the rivers will come up a little bit more, but with the road closed, it reduces the risk of affecting any road users.”
“Most of our whānau are on high ground. I done a run through this morning and so far, they’re all good.”
His message to whānau is clear: stay home and stay safe.
“It’s not worth risking trying to get into town currently. When I went through, I seen people driving through on their cars. It’s too dangerous.”
“You also have the risk of getting stuck on the road in between the two awa. Don’t risk it, stay at home.”
