About 130 properties - mainly in the Henley and Taieri areas - remain evacuated. At this stage residents are likely to be out of their homes for days. Dozens more householders have been forced out of their homes in Christchurch.
Floodwater still swamps large swathes of rural Otago and Canterbury with large lakes forming on pasture land but authorities were breathing a sigh of relief as rivers dropped on Sunday as fast as they rose.
Otago Regional Council's group controller Chris Hawker said emergency management staff would now be supporting the recovery operation.
A formal recovery office had been set up in Dunedin. Regional council staff were now inspecting flood schemes, clearing debris and repairing damage.
Elsewhere in Otago, the Waitaki, Clutha and Central Otago District Councils were carrying out repairs and community support activities as part of their normal business, he said.
All major highways have reopened around Otago but slips and flooding still block a number of roads, especially in Christchurch. This morning Dyers Pass Rd from the Sign of the Takahe to Governors Bay was reopened as well as a number of roads around Banks Peninsula.
Many of the smaller emergency operations across the region closed their doors last night.
Another meeting was due to take place at midday today between representatives from the Ministry for Primary Industries, Federated Farmers and the Otago Rural Support Trust to examine issues facing the rural sector in coming days and weeks.
But it's a different story in Christchurch where this evening's high tides are causing concern.
With high tide expected at 5.08pm it was too late to know if this would cause further problems and the city would stay in crisis mode until tomorrow.
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said she was still nervous about the effect high tides would have on the swamped waterways today and it was important to keep the crisis management in place until the threat of further flooding had passed.
Environment Canterbury said there was still extensive flooding across the region. The focus over the next few days would be to drain the ponded water as quickly as possible.
Incredible rainfall in the space of two days saw some southern towns and cities record their wettest days in July ever.
Niwa said Oamaru recorded 130mm and Dunedin recorded 89.2mm in 26 hours from 6am Friday.
A staggering 260mm of rain was recorded on Environment Canterbury's rain gauge at Townshend during Friday and Saturday.
Many other gauges throughout the district recorded well over 100mm of rain.
