Canterbury residents are experiencing power outages, closed roads with some houses still on water boil notices following severe weather that has left Banks Peninsula in a state of emergency since Tuesday.
Christchurch City Council report landslides, fallen trees and loss of communication to some areas.
Mayor, Phil Mauger, says surface flooding is being drained.
“Staff are over there at the moment digging the Lake Forsyth so it can empty out they’re doing that right now and I’d imagine it will be open tonight” says Mauger.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand have deployed specialist water rescue teams to assist with evacuations and stranded motorists, with Orion working to restore power to 222 properties.
Little River resident, Bonnie Garner, woke up yesterday to flooding surrounding her home and is in disbelief that the weather has taken a dramatic turn in mid-February.
“There was a little bit of water coming up our step onto our deck and a little bit close to our front door-ish but not coming in. I instantly just felt trapped once we had no contact. And maybe it became quite real how ill-prepared we actually are for no contact like, we don’t even own a radio” says Garner.
“I’ve got a text to say that shop looks okay for now but that’s all I really know”.
According to the Wairewa Marae Emergency Response team, whānau are all accounted for.
Residents are encouraged to contact Emergency Services if they are in an emergency situation.
The rain has subsided overnight, and no further weather warnings are in place for Banks Peninsula or Christchurch, although water levels and rivers remain high.
Christchurch City Council say they have had three clear days of sampling from the wider Rawhiti zone and isolated the source of the issue so residents in the New Brighton, Burwood, Wainoni, Aranui and Southshore areas no longer need to boil water.
Investigations are still ongoing, but they believe it was due to work recently undertaken on the network.
Approximately 20 properties will need to keep boiling their water. The council will be communicating with those residents directly.
