Minister to assess damage, civil defence reaching out

Gore: New Zealand’s Civil Defence and Southland District Council have a huge task ahead, as they try to contact hundreds of urban and rural residents in the aftermath of the week’s flooding.

All of the Southland town was evacuated earlier this week as the Mataura River rose and heavy rain fell.

In the Gore District, at least 21 homes have been damaged by floodwaters and building control officers have assessed the worst affected properties. Southland Emergency Management controller Marcus Roy said district council officers were visiting rural properties in Edendale and Riversdale before going to the lower Mataura area. He said they were also looking at how to move into the recovery phase, when the State of Emergency - running until Tuesday - was eventually lifted.

The flooding was arguably unprecedented, he said.

“Effectively, it’s been about 30 years since we’ve had something of this scale and this is probably bigger than anything we’ve ever had on that catchment to date.”

Mr Roy said it was unclear how long Milford would be cut off.

Minister of Conservation Eugenie

Sage flew over the most flood-affected areas of Fiordland yesterday, to assess the damage caused to DOC facilities.

Ms Sage looked at infrastructure, including tracks and huts, and the helicopter will stop at Piopiotahi/Milford Sound where she will meet those involved in the response.

A state of emergency was declared in flooded Southland on Tuesday, including Gore, and dozens of people were rescued from tracks in Fiordland after being cut off by torrential rain.

Some of the rescued tourists described a narrow escape with just two minor injuries after a slip swept into the wall of their hut, crushing bunk beds and completely destroying a block of five toilets.

Hundreds more people trapped by flooding and slips in Milford Sound were evacuated by helicopters on Wednesday.