Red weather alert for Canterbury was spot on

MONDAY MAY 24

The long-range forecast shows very serious rainfall is on the way. We hope it will ease as the weekend gets closer but begin preparing our teams and alerting farmers.

WEDNESDAY MAY 26

No change in the forecast but we’re worried some farmers might not be aware of just what is coming at them. We don’t normally do weather alerts but decide to email members in Canterbury so they can start preparing.

THURSDAY MAY 27

Weather ‘red alert’ announced. Farmers focus attention on getting stock to the highest ground available and moving feed closer, for ease of access.

FRIDAY MAY 28

The dire forecasts are, unfortunately, spot on. In fact in some districts the rainfall is underestimated. North Canterbury President Caroline Amyes records 270mm in Whitecliffs up the top end of the Selwyn River. Over the next few days, some parts of the province are hit with more than half a metre of rainfall.

SUNDAY MAY 30

Civil defence emergencies are declared in Timaru, Ashburton and the Selwyn district as flooding closed roads and bridges and inundated farms.

Mid-Canterbury Feds president David Clark starts his day with an early AM rescue of passengers trapped in a car swept away by floodwaters, and later rescues a farmer stuck on his tractor.

TUESDAY JUNE 1

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor declares a mediumscale adverse event for Canterbury, unlocking $500,000 of Government support for farmers and growers affected by flooding. The money will be used for recovery grants, to enable the region’s three Rural Support Trusts to provide extra help to farmers, and for other flood assistance where needed.

Federated Farmers MidCanterbury senior vice president David Acland, who owns Mt Somers Station, reports ‘‘kilometres of fencing’’ have fallen in the floods. Some farmers who moved stock to high ground found that high ground wasn’t high enough. While the rain has stopped, swollen rivers have carved through paddocks and swept away bridges and vehicles.

AND LATER…

Over the next weeks and months farmers will work on assessing the damage and will continue to do what farmers do so well - working together to support each other and our communities. The outpouring of support and help for affected farmers has been overwhelming and so appreciated.

Recovery is going to take a while, there is a lot of work to do.

A familiar scene all over Canterbury – gumboots drying out overnight in preparation for the next morning and the next phase of the clean-up.

A massive clean-up task to hand, but Chris and Anne-Marie Allen had time to make PM Jacinda Ardern a cup of tea as she arrived by helicopter to inspect damage in the province.

Feds National Board member Chris Allen’s farm at Ashburton Forks was one of many to suffer ruined paddocks and infrastructure.

Suddenly SH 72 is not so much ‘‘the scenic highway’’.