Deep south gets grip on damage

Floodwaters swirl over a section of the closed Invercargill Riverton highway. Photo / Otago Daily Times

The deep south is counting the cost after floodwaters swamped farmland, washed out roads and bridges, cut communications and stranded trampers.

Though the clean-up has begun, officials say it may be days before the full extent of the damage in Southland and Central Otago is known because rainfall not seen in a decade has left dozens of roads still closed.

The weather system which blitzed the region moved north yesterday, bringing some rain to drought-stricken areas, but forecasters say the same intensity of rainfall is not expected to hit the North Island.

The rain band may stall today over Eastern Bay of Plenty and bring heavy rain.

"The parched pastures between Northland and Waikato are likely to receive around 10mm to 20mm of rain, possibly more in a few locations," said MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt.

Floodwaters were receding throughout most of Southland yesterday, with the peak flows moving into the lower reaches of all the major rivers. It appeared the region's stopbanks had held up well in most places, said Environment Southland incident controller Warren Tuckey.

However, extensive tracts of low-lying farmland remained flooded.

Southland District Mayor Frana Cardno said it would take time for the region to start moving again. Bridges were being assessed yesterday to see if they had been undermined by the floodwaters.

"Because when you get that raging torrent of water that we had, it's not until it starts to subside that we see what type of damage has taken place."

The flooding had been right across Southland, compared to the last big floods in 1999 that were localised. About 120 stranded trampers had to be evacuated from Fiordland, and about 2000 residents in Te Anau had to go without landline and mobile phone services and broadband when the flooding cut a fibre optic cable into the town on Monday. This connection was fully restored yesterday.

"It's a wake-up call for us. It just shows you how quickly you can be cut off from the rest of the world really," Mrs Cardno said.

Damage on state highways was being repaired, but potholes could begin to appear in places where there was flooding.

"Some of the issues won't show up until a week or two down the line," said Peter Robinson, of the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Southland Federated Farmers president Rod Pemberton said the cost was not expected to be as high as the floods in 1999.

"For some individuals there could be quite some cost, but for the region I wouldn't think it would be great, from present indications."

The damage to flooded farmland depended on the amount of silt left behind.

"If there's only 10cm-20cm, the grass will grow again. But if you get a thicker layer, then the farmers are going to have to regrass and things like that that take a bit longer."

He had not heard any reports of stock losses.

Chris Ryan, of the Insurance Council of New Zealand, expected insurance claims would be modest given there was not a lot of property damage.