Hundreds evacuated as ‘frightening’ floods hit New Zealand

Tropically fuelled storm dumps more than 30cm of rain on parts of South Island

Hundreds of families on New Zealand’s South Island were forced to leave their homes yesterday after dramatic flooding prompted a state of emergency in three regions.

A tropically fuelled storm has dumped more than 30cm of rain on parts of the South Island, causing rivers to burst their banks. The extreme weather has also felled trees, blocking major roads.

A state of emergency was declared on Wednesday in Buller, on the west coast, and Nelson – where 233 homes have been evacuated after a month’s worth of rain fell in just 15 hours.

The deluge transformed Nelson’s main river, the Maitai, into a torrent – flooding houses, exposing pipes and leaving streets knee-deep in water.

Experts have attributed the unseasonably wet weather to a narrow stream of water vapour, or an “atmospheric river”, sitting above the country.

Nelson city mayor Rachel Reese described the flash flooding as a “one-in-100-year event”, as search and rescue teams, plus military personnel, helped people on submerged streets.