Dunedin July Severe Weather update #12 - 3.20pm, Saturday 22 July 2017

Dunedin July Severe Weather update #12
3.20pm, Saturday 22 July 2017

Rain is beginning to ease, however Civil Defence personnel remain on high alert as state of emergency for Dunedin City continues.

Dunedin Civil Defence Controller David Campbell says Dunedin City Council staff, contractors, emergency services and Civil Defence personnel continue to respond as quickly as they can to weather-related issues based on priority.

Mr Campbell says the main areas of concern are currently the Taieri River, which remains high, slips and other widespread issues throughout the roading network.

Ravenswood Street in St Clair is closed and 12 houses have been evacuated due to a slip. People must stay out of the area until further notice.

There are approximately 25 other slips on roads across the city, many of them on the Otago Peninsula.

A slip on Harington Point Road just past the turnoff to Harwood is still moving and clearance work on this will not start until at least Monday. This means that residents on the Otago Peninsula north of Harwood are effectively cut off, with no alternative access route available. Otakou marae has carried out door knocking in the area and have supported welfare needs.

Progress is being made on clearing slips on Portobello Road. Portobello Road is expected to be open all the way to Tidewater Drive, Harwood to residents only from 5.30pm. However, please be aware that there is still surface water and debris on many parts of the road.

Mr Campbell says contractors continue to clear slips based on priority.

Motorists should avoid all non-essential travel today across the roading network, but particularly in the Taieri and Peninsula areas. Do not go rubbernecking.

“People need to be aware there will be widespread debris and damage on roads, and motorists will not be able to tell the depth of floodwaters,” he says.

A number of roads are closed due to flooding – a full list of road closures and conditions is available online at www.dunedin.govt.nz/road-conditions. State highway closures are on the NZ Transport Agency website at http://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/.


Power outages
Around 60 houses remain without power – most of them in Leith Valley and Henley. There is currently no estimated time for restoring power to properties in Leith Valley due to slips blocking road access.

DCC contractors are working to clear these slips so linesmen can access the fault.
Evacuations and welfare
Civil Defence has evacuated several rural properties in the Mill Creek area, Taieri because of concerns about the structure of the pump station due to high river flows. NZ Defence Force personnel have been working alongside Otago Regional Council staff and contractors to block a hole alongside the Mill Creek pump station on the Taieri River stopbanks.

About 100 households in the lower part of Outram were evacuated overnight because of water flowing into township near the substation at Huntly Road.

Flooding in parts of Mosgiel and the Taieri Plain has meant some residents have been evacuated.

We have made provisions for emergency accommodation for people who were evacuated and cannot yet return to their home. If anyone requires emergency accommodation, please call 03 477 4000.

Anyone whose property has been damaged by floodwaters, slips etc. should contact their insurers as soon as possible.

Please treat all floodwater as being potentially contaminated.

Anyone feeling vulnerable or unsafe can contact us and we will arrange for Civil Defence volunteers to visit. Anyone wanting to report flood-related issues with DCC services should call us on 03 477 4000 to report it. Anyone who feels their safety is in danger or who has water entering their house or business should call emergency services on 111.

Information Centres
The information centre set up in South Dunedin at The Mercy Room, Catholic Social Services, 42 Macandrew Road, will close at 5pm today. We will reconsider opening this tomorrow morning.

The information centre in Mosgiel at the Fire Station Theatre, 3 Cargill Street will continue operating overnight as a place where people can go for more information.

Parks and recreation
There have been two slips onto the Frasers Gully walking track. Please stay away from this area until further notice.

Second Beach walking track in St Clair is also closed due to a slip.

Due to the adverse weather conditions and flow-on effects of these, Moana Pool and Gym are closed today (Sat 22 July).

Dog owners taking their dogs along the Silverstream Flood Bank track in Mosgiel are advised to take extreme care. The high rainfall in the Silverstream catchment may sweep possum carcasses poisoned with 1080 downstream. Keep dogs on a lead at all times; carcasses will be extremely toxic. OSPRI has been asked to patrol at first light and remove any carcasses.

Keep up to date
For the public to keep up to date with what is happening and for advice about what to do, please see the DCC website, DCC social media, listen to the radio and use other media.
Please refer family, friends and neighbours to these communication channels.

www.dunedin.govt.nz
www.facebook.com/DunedinCityCouncil
https://twitter.com/DnCityCouncil

Anyone with flood-related queries or issues should call 03 477 4000.

ENDS

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