Overnight and morning rainfall in Fiordland and the West Coast was exceptional, even by the standards of this very wet region!
Franz Josef is having their wettest day (9am-9am period) since 1979, and Lake Moeraki is having their wettest day on records to 1985. pic.twitter.com/JmnwuRZoqH
At least four homes have been damaged by floodwaters, but residents won’t have a clear idea of the damage until later today.
Hague said the deluge did not last as long as forecast, but the state of emergency was still needed while they attempted to get a clearer idea of the extent of flooding and slips.
“The weather event has passed through faster than we had feared, and that’s great news in terms of minimising the damage we need to respond to.”
The emergency management centre will remain staffed until Monday.
Road closures after slips
In a statement on Saturday, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said parts of the state highway would remain closed over the weekend.
Systems manager Mark Pinner said: “Our crews will continue to clean up the fallen trees and slips around Bruce Bay, the glacier towns and south of Ross, but the Knights Point cracks are of more concern.”
SH6 through the Knights Point area would remain closed for the weekend, with the next update for the route between Fox Glacier and Haast at 10am on Monday.
NZTA said no detour was available for SH6 at Knights Point.
“People wanting to get to Greymouth or Hokitika will need to come via Arthur’s Pass or the Lewis Pass from the east coast for the time being, or delay their journeys.”
Mitchell said “hopefully” roads would be restored and reopened as soon as possible.
“Obviously, the big focus right now is public safety and making sure there is a strong response.
“The West Coasters are pretty good and used to dealing with water and rain, but for us as a country, this is a reality. We are going to continue to be hit by these weather events, and obviously it’s extremely important in terms of how we respond and react to that.”