KEY POINTS:
An intense deluge caused evacuations, rescues, rock falls, slips, fallen trees, swollen waterways and severe surface flooding around East Otago yesterday.
Dunedin was cut off from the north and south from 5pm after surface flooding forced the closure of State Highway One at Waitati, Pukeuri and just north of Hampden in the north and at Waihola in the south. State Highway 83 between Pukeuri and Duntroon was also closed.
Police and civil defence began organising the evacuation of Palmerston residents at 8.20pm.
A street in Mosgiel was cut off by surface flooding, the water level sitting a few centimetres above the floor level of many of the homes.
In Dunedin, St Clair's Esplanade was buffeted by huge swells, throwing sea debris on to the footpath and road. Gardens and garages of houses in nearby Suffolk St were under about 30cm of water, while drain caps throughout St Clair and South Dunedin burst off, with water spurting out and pooling on the suburb's roads. Sandbags were laid outside shops on Mosgiel's main street during the afternoon.
Heavy surface flooding was reported elsewhere.
Turbulent brown water rushed just centimetres from the top of the western bank of Silver Stream at 6pm, while homeowners on adjacent Dukes Rd frantically moved possessions off the floor.
Kaikorai Stream had risen to the level of Harraway St's one-lane bridge in Green Island, forcing police to close the bridge at 6.30pm.
Debris, including branches and household items, crashed into the bridge, while at intervals the water, smelling strongly of sewage, burst over the structure.
Heavy slips fell on to roads around the city. A rockfall at 5.50pm on Portobello Rd near Broad Bay covered one and a half lanes.
A slip on Highcliff Rd near Sandymount Rd at about the same time left the road impassable.
Another slip on Stone St in Kenmure at about 7pm covered most of the road.
Bush Rd in Green Island was partially blocked from a small slip.
There were also unconfirmed reports of a 3m strip of tarseal lifting on the Southern Motorway near the Fairfield offramp.
Only one rescue had been reported last night.
A small group of people stuck in their car near Cherry Farm were rescued "without drama".
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
