Dunedin mop-up could take weeks

Dunedin residents, volunteers and council contractors have a long cleanup ahead after a one-in-100year flood brought two days of heavy rain, floods and slips across the city.

About 30 homes flooded – four seriously – and 17 roads closed because of flooding and landslides.

In total, 170 properties reported water and wastewater problems on Thursday and about 100 received sandbags.

Dunedin city council contrac- tors and volunteers spent yesterday helping flood-affected residents.

South Dunedin was the worsthit area.

Streets were underwater and sewage overflows prompted health warnings. Dozens of slips, many of them on the Otago Peninsula, caused disruption, with Taiaroa Head and surrounding areas cut off.

Civil Defence found temporary motel accommodation for nine families for Thursday night. It was not known how many others left on their own.

A council welfare centre, in the St James Presbyterian Church Hall at 393 King Edward St, South Dunedin, re-opened at 10am yesterday.

There had been a steady stream of people arriving there seeking help or offering to volunteer or comfort affected residents since.

‘‘We had one lady come in who had . . . a knee-deep mud pile in her property,’’ council services and development manager Simon Pickford said.

‘‘It’s been an emotional thing – it’s hit people sideways.’’

House assessments resumed on yesterday morning, with council building control officers checking the soundness homes.

About 90 inspections would be carried out in total.

‘‘The inspections will help confirm the extent of the damage to the city,’’ Pickford said.

‘‘We’ve got very few houses that are uninhabitable or unsafe. It’s just a whole lot of clean-up.’’

People from all parts of the city had offered to help with clean-up efforts.

‘‘An event like this, it brings out the best in people. It shows what community spirit there is in a city like Dunedin. It’s quite heartening to see,’’ Pickford said.

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‘‘The water level rose so quickly. The minor clean-up could go on for weeks.’’

The council placed skips in hot spots around South Dunedin for flood-affected residents to dispose of ruined furniture, sandbags and carpets.

Residents were asked to bag smaller material and place it on the kerbside for contractors to collect.

The council would have daily collections over the weekend.

Those wanting to volunteer could phone the council call centre on (03) 477-4000. They needed their own gumboots.

‘‘You are likely to working in areas that will still have contaminated surface water, so please come prepared. Your help is most welcome but we need to look after your welfare too. Gloves and any other clean up equipment required will be provided on site,’’ Pickford said.

Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said the flooding was ‘‘a really large event, more than a one-in-100-year event, closer to 200’’.

Countless volunteers had offered to help people in need, he said.

‘‘All have been gratefully welcomed. Even the Christchurch City Council, which is still dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake, offered to help us in this situation.’’

A mayoral fund had been set up to help flood-affected residents.

Police boosted patrols in flooded areas on Thursday night to stop looters targeting evacuated homes.

‘‘There will be a lot of vacant houses out there, some people have self-evacuated and won’t be able to go back for some time,’’ Senior Sergeant Phil McDouall said.

The forecast for today is for fine weather.