Water like someone opened a dam
TWO Richmond property owners have been left devastated by the weekend’s weather event which wreaked havoc on their homes, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Roger and Kay Harrington were evacuated during the Friday and Saturday weather event, along with their cat Kitty Kitty.
Mr Harrington was devastated by what the flood had done to his home.
‘‘It’s just been one of those horrendous things.’’
He said the water rushed through his property as though someone had opened a dam.
One second he was making a coffee to take to his ‘‘man cave’’ and the next he saw a sheet of water at his door.
‘‘I yelled at the wife to put sheets down to block the water coming in the back door and I walked through to the front door. There was six inches of water at the front door. We’ve never had this much water before. When the police came to get us we were wading out waist deep.’’
He has lost 11 sheep and 17 chickens to the flood.
He came back to check on the house on Saturday and just drove away, he said.
‘‘The water was still lapping at the door.’’
His nextdoor neighbour was badly affected as well.
Doug Kearns, of North Otago Hotel and Motels, said about 40cm of sewagecontaminated water went through his main building and side units, damaging items including carpets, bedding and beds.
‘‘It was so disheartening as I walked down the stairs at 2.30 in the morning and the water levels were quite high in the pub.’’
The complex was on the market before the floodwaters hit.
‘‘We’re insured, but there are people in the area not insured.’’
He said when the water struck it was as though it arrived in one big hit.
‘‘It didn’t just rise.’’
He said he was busy trying to prevent further damage to his complex, but big trucks kept driving through the floodwaters sending waves of contaminated water towards his property.