Emergency Management Otago 4.50am
from Otago CDEM Group, 4.50am
Over 200 properties have been evacuated across Otago overnight, with the majority being in the Dunedin City and its
rural communities. All state highways across the region are closed and there are numerous local road closures. Steady
rain is continuing to fall in Dunedin, where access to the Otago Peninsula is cut off by several major slips.
Otago Group Controller Scott MacLean said conditions have eased in the Waitaki District, where four homes were evacuated
in Oamaru last night and another four in Hilderthorpe.
The major area of focus currently is Outram on the Taieri Plain near Dunedin, where around 100 homes have been evacuated
and more householders have been warned to be prepared to evacuate if conditions change. Civil Defence teams are also
going door to door in parts of Mosgiel to advise residents that surface flooding may cause more homes to be evacuated.
Further south, the Clutha District Council activated its emergency operations centre last night after flooding affected
a small number of properties in Milton, Lawrence and Waitahuna. Teams also sandbagged the shopping area in Lawrence and
went door to door in low-lying parts of Milton, advising householders that they may need to evacuate if conditions
worsen.
Otago Regional Council flood managers are continuing to patrol and monitor rivers across the region. The biggest impact
currently is on the Taieri River, where flood levels at Outram are at the second highest level ever recorded, at 1825
cumecs and the river was still rising at 4.30am.
The Manuherikia River peaked at Ophir last night, at the fourth highest level on record. One property was evacuated from
Oturehua.
Other rivers which have stabilised and are now only rising slowly include the Silver Stream, Water of Leith and Lindsay
Creek in Dunedin; and the Tokomairiro and Waitahuna Rivers in the Clutha District. The Waianakarua, Kakanui and Shag
rivers in North Otago have peaked.
Delta has advised that there are power outages in Berwick, Henley, Leith Valley, Mt Cargill, Swamp Summit, Maori Hill
and Woodhaugh.
ENDS