Destruction on SH94: Milford Road will be closed for at least a week, NZTA warns

Name: State of Emergency declared for Fiordland as roads destroyed and tourists trapped
Uploaded: 2020-02-03T17:46:10+13:00
Duration: 116 s
Description: State of Emergency declared for Fiordland as roads destroyed and tourists trapped. Video / NZTA

NZ Herald

3 Feb, 2020 04:40 PM2 mins to read

State of Emergency declared for Fiordland as roads destroyed and tourists trapped. Video / NZTA

Videos have been released showing the destruction to Milford Road with multiple parts of the road washed away and destroyed by the heavy rain battering Fiordland.

NZTA has confirmed the Milford Road (State Highway 94) leading to Milford Sound will be closed all week due to the extent of the damage, which is about three times more than the footage shows.

Nine people in a stretch limousine, which can be pictured in the footage, were choppered out this morning.

The trapped limo can be seen with large chunks of the road ahead of it and behind it missing.

A further 27 people on a bus which was trapped at Hollyford Rd were rescued this morning and taken to another bus waiting for them at Cascade.

An NZTA spokesperson said last night they believed there were no other people trapped on the road.

Emergency Management Southland is working on an evacuation plan for the 195 tourists trapped in Milford Sound and is expected to have an update by midday today.

Along with the tourists there are estimated to be another 300 workers stuck in the area. Some of the staff are sheltering at the Blue Duck Cafe and Bar because they are unable to return to the lower workers' village because of its close proximity to the flooding Cleddau River.

The aerial footage shows the 1.5km section of road between Raspberry to Homer Huts washed away from sudden waterfalls in multiple areas.

The longer video shows the destruction from Red slip to Raspberry, which is about 2km from the Homer tunnel.

The majority of the destruction occurred to the east of the tunnel, but some repairs are also required west of it.

Earlier today a State of Emergency was declared for Fiordland and MetService issued its first-ever Red Severe Weather Warning, signalling an extreme weather event which could cause significant impact and disruption.

Some 382 visitors and staff, including tourists, are trapped in Milford Sound after the road was destroyed by flooding and washouts caused by the rain.

Emergency Management Southland controller Angus McKay said everyone was safe and warm - staying at Mitre Peak Lodge or on tourist boats - with plenty of food.

The disruption was due to high tides and the flooding Cleddau River.