Civil Defense is closely monitoring the flood-prone parts of Christchurch and the Banks Peninsula, which are drenched in rain, while roads and highways in Canterbury have been closed due to flooding and heavy snowfall.
In a Facebook post tonight, Selwyn Civil Defense said it had activated an emergency operations center in the afternoon to coordinate response and community support for the severe weather currently affecting the district and wider area of Canterbury.
Environment Canterbury has issued a warning of rising river levels and Civil Defense has urged residents of Selwyn Huts to evacuate as a precaution.
Residents should initially try to find shelter with friends or family. Anyone who needs help with evacuation or housing can contact the municipality on 0800 SELWYN (0800 735 996).
Residents concerned about life-threatening or immediate flooding should call 111 and request Fire and Emergency.
Up to 125mm of rain was forecast today on the Banks Peninsula and 50 to 75mm in the city and the Port Hills.
Heavy rainfall this afternoon will coincide with higher-than-normal tides, so some flooding is expected in low-lying coastal areas and around rivers.
Roads closed in Canterbury
Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency announced late afternoon that many highways and local roads have been closed in Canterbury, the west coast and the Lindis Pass to Otago.
Heavy rain, snow and gale force winds keep major routes across the South Island closed from noon into the night.
Contractors were hard at work clearing debris and traffic management would be put in place in some areas. Drivers should take this into account in their travel plans and be prepared for delays.
Even where roads are open, road users need to be alert to the dangers of surface water, rising river levels, stone chips, fallen trees and slips, said Tresca Forrester, Journey Manager Waka Kotahi.
“Some roads will have debris and flooding, making them particularly unsafe at night.”
State Highway 73 between Springfield and Castle Hill was expected to be closed all afternoon and possibly all night.
SH8 is closed between Fairlie and Twizel, and SH79 is closed between Gudex Rd and the SH8 intersection.
Police said four cars were stuck on SH80 and a snowplow was working to get them out. Around 12.45 pm a car was also stuck in the snow on the SH79 near Geraldine.
Meanwhile, highways where power lines or trees have been knocked over by the gale force winds are closed until electric utility crews can safely remove them.
Affected roads
Most of these closures (below) are “until further notice”, so people should check them on the Waka Kotahi/NZTA traffic and travel map. Many can remain closed overnight, Waka Kotahi advised.
Closures – Marlborough/Canterbury and Lindis Pass/Otago
SH1 Seddon to Kaikōura – flooding
SH73 Springfield to Castle Hill (Porters Pass) – snow
SH73 Castle Hill to Arthurs Pass – Snow – Wednesday 8am Update
SH77 Darfield to Rakaia Gorge Bridge – Flood
SH77 Between Blackford Road and Mt Hutt Station Road – Washout Diversion northbound use Mt Hutt Station Road, Rakaia River Road, Rakaia Barrhill Methven Road, Elizabeth Ave to SH1. Head south at Windwhistle onto Leaches Road, Saunders Road, Sharland Road, Ardlui Road, Rakaia Terrace Road, North Rakaia Road onto SH1.
SH79 Fairlie between Gudex Rd and SH8 intersection (Fairlie-Geraldine Highway) – snow
SH8 Twizel to Fairlie (Burkes Pass) – snow
SH80 Aoraki Mount Cook Highway – snow
SH8 Tarras to Omarama (Lindis Pass) – snow closed overnight, update Wednesday, July 13 at 6:00 AM
Closures – West Coast
SH73 Jacksons to Kumara – fallen trees – diversion via SH7 Jacksons to Moana to Stillwater
SH6 Ross to Fox Glacier – high wind/power lines down
OPEN but care needed
SH7 Hanmer exit to Springs Junction (Lewis Pass) – high winds – slow down
SH7 Springs Junction to Reefton (Rahu Saddle) – high winds – debris on the road
SH77 Mount Hutt to Ashburton – flood
SH79 Geraldine to Fairlie – snow
Thick snow at Mt Cook
Sharlene McKinlay and her family live not far from the mountainside of Aoraki/Mt Cook, watching Mueller Hut with icicles dangling from their eaves.
“We can just see the vegetation there, so it’s very snowbound.”
When news of the snow forecast reached them, they ducked into the grocery store yesterday to make sure they were well stocked.
The road to Mt Cook (SH80) is closed due to heavy snowfall.
McKinlay is a hobby photographer and shoots during the day.
“It’s really nice to share them with people all over the country because it’s a pretty unique place to be.”
Residents of the village of Mt Cook woke up this morning to a thick layer of snow and more snow fell during the day.
McKinlay says there is now about a foot of fresh snow.
It is her family’s first winter in the remote village.
She says her four-year-old daughter wants to make snowmen later in the day when conditions calm down.
McKinlay says there have been white conditions, but the village looks magical as visibility improves.
Buller District doesn’t know when power will be restored
The Buller District is without power after the national grid has been cut.
Buller Electricity says it has lost bulk power, except for Karamea, who remains on generators.
It does not have a timetable for restoring the power supply at this stage. Stuff reports that the area may be without power overnight.
Marlborough residents asked not to flush
Residents in Blenheim and Seddon are being asked not to flush their toilets today as heavy rainfall has pushed the sewerage systems in the borough to full capacity.
Marlborough District Council says the heavy rains that have forced the closure of several roads are also affecting the sewage system.
The Picton, Renwick and Havelock sewers are working well, but those in Blenheim and Seddon are not.
All sports parks in Marlborough and the Seddon Transfer Station are also closed.
– ODT Online and RNZ