Granity clean-up as heavy rain continues

Residents in the flood-hit West Coast town of Granity are bracing themselves for another bout of heavy rain, police say.

On the Thursday the town, 32km northeast of Westport, was hit hard by torrential downpours causing slips and cutting road and rail links on both sides of the town.

Last night residents were allowed to return to 10 of the 14 houses evacuated.

Constable Craig Tickelpenny, of Granity, said today the effort to clean up debris from the slips and clear the road would continue today.

Access to the town had already been re-established.

But a warning for heavy rain today had been issued and Mr Tickelpenny and other emergency workers would be "keeping watch to see what happens".

Yesterday Buller District Council Civil Defence manager Terry Archer said that four houses inundated by water and silt residue were temporarily uninhabitable.

- NZPA