New Zealand / Regional

Otago flooding: what you need to know

11:45 am on 4 June 2015

Primary and intermediate schools in Dunedin are shut and many roads remain closed after yesterday's torrential rain and flooding.

Emergency services pumping water out from flooded shops.

Emergency services pumping water out from flooded shops on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer

Flooding

  • Primary and intermediate schools in the Dunedin area are closed.
  • High Schools Macandrew Bay School, Taieri College and Queens High School are confirmed closed.
  • Central city roads are open, but two state highways and many local roads remain closed due to flooding, slippages or washouts.
  • A Civil Defence welfare centre has been set up at a Presbytarian church in King Edward Street to help residents affected by flooding.
  • Some 30 houses were flooded, though there were reports the number could be higher
  • Council and public health officials will be visiting flooded streets in South Dunedin checking for water contamination.
  • Dunedin City Council has asked residents to avoid driving or walking through floodwaters, particularly those that may be contaminated with wastewater.
  • The council said the city's water supply remained safe to drink.

Check the Dunedin City Council's website and the Otago Regional Council's website for flooding and river level updates. Residents can also visit water.orc.govt.nz, call 0800 426 463 or receive flood alerts via Twitter.

Schools

  • Primary and intermediate schools in the Dunedin area were closed on Thursday
  • High schools: Macandrew Bay School, Taieri College and Queens High School were confirmed closed.

Roads

  • At 9.30am, 17 roads were closed around Dunedin.
  • State highways are still affected: State Highway 88 from Sawyers Bay to Port Chalmers is impassable
  • Further inland, SH8 from Roxburgh To Millers Flat, is closed
  • Traffic is down to one lane on SH1 between Clarksville and Milton.
  • More than 20 roads remain closed in Clutha: Back Road, Springfield Road, Akatore Road, Elliotvale Road, Allison Road, Butts Road, Remote Road, Barrata Stream Road, Puaho, Chaslands Highway, Wooded Hill, Ardmore, Greenvale, Paradise Flat, Tokoiti,

    • Toko Mouth, Table Hill, Bruce Road, Forsyth Road, Finch Road, Lakeside Road and Karoro Creek.

  • The Toko Mouth Bridge is impassable.
  • A culvert has washed out on Glenledi Road

For the latest updates on highway closures, visit nzta.govt.nz. For the latest updates on other road closures, visit dunedin.govt.nz/council-online/road conditions.

Buses

  • In Dunedin, the St Kilda service is travelling directly through to St Kilda via Prince Albert St to avoid flooding on Bayview Road and Richardson Street.
  • The Portobello urban and school services are cancelled until further notice and the Sandymount service is travelling only as far as Camp Road
  • The university to Concord service from the university will travel only as far as Stone Street, while the inwards service will complete the Concord loop and then travel via Stevensons Road to the university.
  • All other services are travelling to schedule.

    • Power cuts

    • Power remains out to about 160 properties in East Taieri due to flooding damage to electrical equipment.
    • Aurora Energy said electricity would be restored as soon as water can be removed from the equipment and repairs made.
    • It said it was important for people to treat all electricity lines as live at all times, and to report any problems with power supply.

    Weather

    • Heavy rain warnings have been lifted for Dunedin and Clutha
    • MetService said rain in both areas had eased and the weather system was moving away to the southeast.

    Rest homes and hospitals

    • The Southern District Health Board says there are no planned changes to patient clinics or surgery today.
    • On Wednesday, the Radius Fulton rest home on Hillside Road was evacuated, with staff looking for alternative accommodation for about 75 people.

    Water flooding back out of drains in Forbury Road, St Clair, on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Darryl Baser

    For severe weather warnings, visit MetService's website.