Team quick to help out
The Victory and Nelson South communities have rallied to help out those faced with cleaning up their flooddamaged homes and businesses.
Streets in south Nelson were turned into raging torrents last week tearing down fences, scouring out driveways and washing away possessions outside.
The Victory area was badly hit, with shops and homes flooded.
Streets and homes around Kawai St and Tipahi St were also affected when the clouds burst about 3pm last Wednesday dropping 18mm of rain in one hour.
Among those who mucked in to help those faced with the depressing task of cleaning up the muddy sodden aftermath of the flood were players from the Victory Phoenix Vikings Rugby League Club.
Coach Andrew Dooley said he went up to the flooded areas on Emano and Murphy St on Thursday night.
On Friday night the club cancelled training and the boys went up and cleaned up a couple of garages.
They went back up to the area on Saturday and Sunday to help out and took trailer loads of stuff to the dump.
They stopped as they went down the road to load the trailer with items they saw on the street that needed to be disposed of. ‘‘It’s only little things. ‘‘But people are grateful for what you do.’’
As someone who was born and bred in the area and had lived on Orsman Cres and Murphy St Andrew said he said he could remember it flooding in 1984, but there were open creeks then.
The houses at 72 and 70 Murphy St were badly hit.
The team also helped Anglican minister Harvey Whakaruru whose garage and back yard was flooded.
Harvey says the water level in the flooding was pretty scary, but they were luckier than others as their house escaped the flooding.
He was grateful for the help from the Phoenix players whom were ‘‘really fantastic’’.
‘‘It’s one of those events that happen.
‘‘There was a huge deluge with water that came down both roads.
‘‘The houses right on the corner copped it.’’
Victory Community Centre centre co-ordinator Gareth Cashin said the flooding had caused a lot of damage.
He had spoken with people whose houses had flooded who were devastated by what had happened.
He said people were worried when it rained heavily now that it might happen again.
He said the Victory community had rallied to help each other by themselves and that had been heart-warming to see.
‘‘I think it’s fantastic that people are able to come together and support each other through a crisis.’’