[ad_1]
Emergency Management Otago urges travelers to delay their plans as heavy rains cause flooding and road closures in the south.
Group Controller for Otago Emergency Management Matt Alley said “As we head into dusk, driving alone will get more complicated in much of Otago, staying where you are tonight is a better option than being stranded in your vehicle or having to be rescued from a dangerous situation. “
Earlier, many tourists packed up and tried to hit the road, causing significant traffic delays due to the closure of four state highways.
At 5.30pm, NZTA / Waka Kotahi reported the following road closures:
- SH6 between Kingston and Queenstown due to slipping and flooding
- SH1 from Maheno to Reidston due to flooding
- SH87 from Kyeburn to Outram due to a bridge collapse in Kokonga
- SH83 Otematata to Aviemore due to flooding
Mr. Alley said that Emergency Management Otago had been communicating closely with the police and local councils during the day and would continue to monitor the situation into the evening.
“At this stage there is nothing to intensify our situation to the point where it is necessary to activate civil defense, but we have personnel and resources available throughout the region if that changes,” he said.
Eve Bruhns, a flood officer for the Otago Regional Council, issued a statement shortly before 8 pm Saturday warning that rivers in the region were expected to rise, “possibly significantly” overnight.
“The rivers now run high in much of Otago, mainly in the Taieri, Clutha, Manuherekia and Kakanui catchments. Overnight rainfall intensities are expected to remain high throughout the region, with rainfalls expected to remain high. rivers continue to rise. “
“The highest rainfall intensities are forecast for coastal areas overnight; the Leith and Lindsay rivers in the city of Dunedin continue to be closely monitored.”
Heavy and persistent rains have led to the cancellation or postponement of large-scale events scheduled for Saturday and there is a warning for road users to be careful due to flooding.
Motorists across the South were advised to drive based on weather conditions after several accidents on the wet roads of inland Otago yesterday and a heavy rain warning for Dunedin, North Otago and Clutha north of Balclutha until 11pm.
The heavy rain watch also applied to Central Otago, Southern Lakes and Southland, north of Gore, as of 9 p.m. today, as well as Canterbury High Country, south of Fairlie. Electrical storms were also possible.
The Otago Central District Council (CODC) reported at 9:30 am today isolated surface flooding throughout the area and river levels were beginning to rise.
“If you are camping, follow the advice and relocate to higher ground.”
At 3:00 pm, there was a major traffic jam where State Highway 6 meets State Highway 8B in Cromwell, as many decided to abandon their plans. A police officer was on duty in Cromwell due to queues.
Traffic moved slowly from the Queenstown and Wanaka directions to the T-intersection, with vehicles lined up for several kilometers in each direction.
The traffic jam extended to where SH8B meets SH8 at the Devils Point Bridge intersection. Traffic traveling to Queenstown or Wanaka was moving freely.
In South Otago, the Clutha District Council said there was a lot of traffic on the roads, but not many led to conditions, despite heavy surface flooding.
“We ask all road users to be careful, drive up to conditions and follow the signs.”
HOLIDAYS IN OMAKAU OVER
Four generations of a family took the warnings seriously and decided to return home from their Omakau camp.
The family group had set up a camp along the Manuherikia River in the shadow of the Ida Valley-Omakau Rd Bridge from December 28 through New Year’s Day and more families were expected to arrive today.
Justine Broadley of Dunedin said the family had returned to the same place for as long as she could remember and that only once, about 20 years ago, was their vacation interrupted by a flood.
His mother, Colleen Witchall, agreed. “We woke up one morning and the bathroom tent was full of water.”
Ms. Broadley said they had decided to pack up and go home this afternoon, saying they didn’t want to be forced to leave in the middle of the night if things got worse.
About 20 other camp facilities were at the same location this morning.
ROADS CLOSED, RIVERS SWELLS
The New Zealand Transportation Agency said shortly after 1pm today that State Highway 6 (Frankton to Kingston) was closed due to a slip. “Avoid the area and delay your trip if possible.”
The Otago Regional Council (ORC) reported earlier this afternoon that, as a MetService heavy rain warning for parts of Otago, rivers are rising on the coast and north of Otago and could continue to rise significantly this afternoon and throughout the night.
Heavy rains on Saturday are forecast to intensify, with another 60-100mm expected in the coastal basins of the cities of Otago and Dunedin this afternoon and evening.
The Otago Regional Council said North Otago’s Kakanui and Kauru rivers had risen rapidly this morning and were expected to continue growing.
“While flows are currently low in Dunedin and lower Clutha, headwaters are increasing rapidly in the Taieri Basin, and Silverstream and other rivers in the Taieri Basin are likely to increase significantly as a result. This could result in flooding within from the Gordon Road bed. “
Heavy flooding was also affecting the Sowburn Bridge in Patearoa this afternoon.
There is surface flooding in the Otago region, including State Highway 6 (Wyecreek to Kingston) and SH87 in Middlemarch, near the intersection with Settlement Rd.
In northern Otago, floods have closed part of the Alma-Maheno Highway (State Highway 1) after the Kakanui River overflowed in the morning.
There was also flooding in the Waitaki Valley, where the Otematata River had overflowed.
There are also surface flooding affecting parts of State Highways 82 and 83 in Canterbury.
CENTRAL ROADS OF OTAGO AFFECTED
The Otago Central District Council said the flooding has closed Naseby Link Road, Naseby Gimmerburn Road, Old Dunstan Road, Kokonga Road, Auripo Road and Strode Road (Earnscleugh).
The Patearoa Township Bridge has also been closed, but there is a detour via Aitken Road and McSkimming Road.
Tourist Grant McKenzie said rain had been falling steadily in the area for about 20 hours.
Mr. McKenzie described the damage to both the Patearoa Township Bridge and the Sowburn Bridge.
The township bridge had some debris, including trees, trapped underneath.
Picnic tables at Sowburn Bridge, where the town’s swimming hole is located, had been strewn across farmers’ meadows up to 1km away.
The tarseal on Ranfurly-Patearoa Rd had risen.
“And the water keeps flowing,” he said. “There is still a lot out there and it just started to rain hard again.”
Caution was recommended on Ida Valley Omakau Road due to extensive surface flooding from Auripo Road to Oturehua Township.
Danseys Pass Road is closed from the Kyeburn River Road intersection to the top, and Scotts Lane is closed at the bridge. Island Cliff-Duntroon Road is closed.
Crews will work in Maniototo clearing debris from bridges and culverts to reduce flooding, he said.
TRIATHLON, FOOD AND RACING FESTIVAL
In Cromwell, organizers of the Gate Lake Dunstan Triathlon and Duathlon postponed the event for the sake of safety and said a new date would be set as soon as possible.
The Cromwell Food and Wine Festival, scheduled to take place at the town’s heritage grounds starting at 3pm, has been canceled.
The Omakau Trots also became victims of the weather. The Central Otago Trotting Club canceled today’s race meeting, which is expected to draw thousands of bettors, due to what it described as “major surface flooding” throughout the parking lot and the racetrack.
Club president Graham Sinnamon had to make a difficult decision after monitoring the track overnight. “Head against heart: it was a horrible decision.”
Glenorchy races have been postponed until tomorrow due to rain.
However, the Wanaka rodeo will go ahead as planned.
HEAVEST RAIN FORECAST
MetService weather forecaster Aidan Pyselman urged motorists to drive under conditions in Otago-Southland, given that heavy rains were expected to continue today and could, in some locations, reach as high as 140mm by 11pm, from the beginning of yesterday, and more rain occurred is also expected tomorrow.
Dunedin City had logged 28mm of rain yesterday, at 6pm, and today “wouldn’t be a great day” in terms of rain, and “even more rain” would fall tomorrow.
Today 60-100mm more rain was expected, with the largest amounts likely in the hills and ranges of North Otago and Dunedin.
Monday would be drier and warmer, with 19 ° C forecast for Dunedin, down from 13 ° C at 3pm yesterday and the weather would improve through Wednesday, he said.
– By Jared Morgan, John Gibb and ODT Online
[ad_2]
