Council preparing for heavy rain
THE Dunedin City Council has been gearing up for potential surface flooding after a heavy rain watch was issued for the city.
The warning, along with one for North Otago, was issued yesterday by MetService, who said a period of rain was expected from 2pm yesterday to 6am this morning. Some heavy falls were likely.
The council said yesterday staff and contractors had been working to clear all DCC stormwater screens around the city.
Manager of the 3 Waters group, Tom Dyer, said crews had been checking screens to ensure they were kept clear of debris, and gutters were being swept.
‘‘While we have cleared the mud tank grates, there is a lot of leaffall at the moment so it’s likely there will be more leaves that need to be cleared.’’
He encouraged people to check nearby mud tanks and remove piles of leaves, as they could cause surface flooding.
‘‘We don’t expect the rain to cause widespread issues but it is possible there may be pockets of surface flooding. We’ll be monitoring the situation and responding as necessary.’’
He said residents should report any issues to the DCC so contractors could be sent out.
A watch was in place for the ranges of Westland for the 24 hours from 6pm yesterday.
Accumulations could approach warning levels of 85mm in 18 hours.
MetService said a couple of cold fronts would move on to the southern South Island last night, bringing rain to the south and west of the island.