Gita brings ‘round two’ to rural areas
Residents in rural Marlborough have been spending much of Tuesday getting ready for exCyclone Gita, or ‘‘round two’’, after flash floods earlier this month. Less than two weeks after getting flooded, Wairau Valley resident Jae Russell is getting ready for round two.
Russell’s Wairau Valley property, west of Blenheim, flooded on February 10 when the stream behind their house burst its banks and overflowed.
‘‘It’s a bit of a dilemma now as we have furniture outside from the flood last time, but we’re not sure if we bring them in again and risk getting flooded again,’’ Russell said.
‘‘So now we’ve got everything tied down, waiting to see what will happen.’’
Russell said people in the valley were expecting the same amount of rain in half the time from Gita.
The region had seen more than 30 millimetres of rain in the last 12 hours.
However, Marlborough could see rainfall approaching or exceeding 200mm before the end of Wednesday.
Heavy winds were expected from 4pm on Tuesday.
‘‘Now we’re getting ready for it again ... I don’t know what will happen, just hope for the best,’’ he said.
Russell suspected there was a blockage up the stream as a lot of rubble came with the flood.
"The council came in on Friday for emergency work to shore up the stream, and built a barrier using a digger."
But it was a day at home for one Wairau Valley family as the Wairau Valley School closed because of Gita.
Despite the day off, children Katie, 11, Isabella 9, and Ruben Griffiths, 6, were ready for an emergency.
‘‘School is closed because of the big storm but we have extra food, extra water, a generator and the barbecue ready if things go bad,’’ Katie said.
Their father Glen Griffiths said this was the most ready they had ever been for a storm.
‘‘It’s a bit of a waiting game, we’re just not sure what will happen on Wednesday, so fingers crossed.
‘‘We’re ready if we have no power or anything, we have things sorted for at least two days," he said.
Mum Rochelle Stephen said the animals were also shifted in preparation for Gita.
‘‘We shifted the chickens in case their cage got flooded," she said.
Wairau Valley residents Rex and Kate Schollum were hoping to ride out the storm with their supplies.
‘‘But we’re ready for anything, you just don’t know what could happen on Wednesday, it’s an act of God,’’ Kate Schollum said.