Southland Flooding: State of Emergency Declared
Astate of emergency has been declared in flooded Southland, including Gore. It was issued by Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group shortly before 3pm.
About a metre of rain had fallen in 60 hours in Milford Sound, 600mm of that fell in the 24 hours to 7am yesterday.
The flooding and heavy rain lead to the closure of most roads in Southland and some in Otago.
The Transport Agency issued warnings to drivers in Westland to slow down for surface flooding and be ready for road closures. In Southland, roads were shut apart from State Highway Six in Dipton, near the intersection with Bell Road.
Also closed was State Highway 94 in Croydon, near the intersection with Kingdon Road.
In Otago, surface flooding closed State Highway 1 between Gore and Clinton, State Highway 90 from McNab to Tapanui and the State Highway 1 intersection to Station Road. Meanwhile, more than 40 tourists trapped in lodges at Milford Sound were rescued by boat.
A state of emergency was declared in the area as flooding and slips trapped tourists on tracks, roads and at Martins Bay and Big Bay, and closed State Highway 94, the only road into Milford Sound. There are 125 people across three remote lodges owned by private company Ultimate Hikes.
Company spokesperson Shaun Liddy said they were looking to bring 44 tourists out to Te Anau by boat.
He said 81 would be left to stay another night.
Earlier yesterday, helicopters rescued 31 tourists out from the damaged Howden Hut.
Eight helicopters ferried people from there to Te Anau, Glenorchy and Queenstown.
There are 195 people still stuck in Milford town and will stay there until the weather clears tomorrow when they can be transported out properly.