Dunedin residents are describing the flooding and rain in and around the city as devastating and chaotic as the city experiences its wettest day in more than a century.
During the 48 hours to about 10.30am on Friday Dunedin city received 160mm of rain, with about 180mm falling in the suburban hills, while nearly 90mm of rain fell in Clutha during this period, Emergency Management Otago said.
Streets are swamped and a state of emergency has been declared for Dunedin and also the Clutha District.
A red heavy rain alert for North Otago, Dunedin and coastal Clutha remains in force until 11pm on Friday.
Parts of Waikouaiti and Karitane, north of Dunedin, are under water.
A flooded backyard at Tairei mouth. Photo: Supplied / Lisa Walsh
A Dunedin resident in the suburb of Tainui said the flooding was the worst she had experienced in the last 30 years.
Botha Street resident Pauline said she was up most of the night, keeping an eye on the water level as rain continued to fall.
She is unable to leave her house, due to flooding at the bottom of her driveway.
"We're completely flooded, the water's quite high although it has receded a bit, it's probably dropped, we reckon about four inches.
"It's up into our garage so as you can see, it's pretty bad, the whole backyard is completely flooded, we can't shower, can't flush your toilet, even to brush your teeth, you can't run the water down the sink because it just comes back up, it doesn't drain at all."
Pauline said she was grateful the floodwaters had not entered her home, and she was looking forward to the rain easing later this evening.
A resident in the Dunedin suburb of St Kilda, Bailey, told RNZ he felt sorry for his neighbours who had been affected.
He said he and his partner Bethany ended up leaving their home and going to their parents after they were worried about the flooding.
Bailey said he had never seen flooding like this.
"I have been living in Dunedin my whole life and have never seen anything this bad before, not at all, it's quite wild."
He said his plan for the rest of the day was to keep warm, maybe have a beer and watch some TV.
A group of 10 from the Otago Punjabi Foundation Trust have delivered more than 100 hot meals to flood-affected residents. Photo: RNZ / Jessica Hopkins
Tainui resident Mike Taylor said he was at work last night and arrived home this morning to find water ankle deep in his garden.
He said the community was rallying around each other, with lots of people helping others amid the deluge.
"We went and sandbagged the neighbour across the road there and she had some leftover so we chucked them in the truck and so this morning we were driving, checking on another friend ... and dropping a few off to the people around the place who were sort of shouting out for them.
"Everyone's just chipping in and doing their bit."
A Waikouaiti property flooded following severe rainfall. Photo: Supplied / Susan Rebergen
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board member Sonya Billyard said low-lying parts of the town were flooded.
The township was cut off, with the NZ Transport Agency having closed State Highway 1 south at Evansdale and north as well.
Coast Road, which links the area to Dunedin via an alternative route, is also closed.
Billyard said it was too early to know just how extensive the flooding was.
"Once we, ya know, see the light of day tomorrow, there will be properties that are quite badly damaged. There are a few low-lying areas in Waikouaiti where I know now that properties are under water or some are very close to it and just not going to hold that water off."
The Dunedin City Council is asking residents to evacuate if they need to.
'Scary night' for many Dunedin residents
It was a sleepless night for many Dunedin residents who were evacuated from their homes that are 'knee-deep' in water.
About 100 people evacuated on Thursday night after a state of emergency was put in place.
Photo: Tess Brunton/RNZ
Residents flocked to the St Clair Golf Club evacuation centre and Forsyth Barr Stadium for safety.
Many residents have been reporting knee-deep water in some South Dunedin homes, with St Clair resident telling RNZ it was a "scary night", taking turns to check where the water was on their property off Forbury Road.
Neighbour Bernice Wright said her home was in the firing line if the rain continued to fall.
Forbury Road runs parallel to Surrey Street, where Dunedin Civil Defence and Emergency Management asked residents to evacuate last night ahead of the formal state of emergency declaration.
Wright said she had never seen rain like what had fallen in recent days.
Last night was frightening, she said.
Surrey Street resident Lynn decided to stay in her home despite others evacuating last night.
She told Nine to Noon she did not want to leave her two cats behind, and no flooding was inside her house. If it was to get worse, however, her bags were packed and ready.
Lynn said there was flooding in her garden.
"It's been raining heavy, I don't know what's happening in the rest of the city apart from what I'm reading on the Facebook pages from the city council.
"They've been pretty great this time, this is the third time since I've been here, since 2009 that this has happened, and they've been really great.
"I've had the fire brigade, I've had Civil Defence, I've had them come and bring sandbags because I couldn't lift the sandbags, I live by myself, and I'm retired, so they've done that, they've been really great, really proactive this time."
But Lynn said the main problem causing flooding near her property was old infrastructure that could not handle the rain.
She did not believe the water would rise as much as it did if the infrastructure was replaced.
"It's just crazy and it just makes me mad."
Flooding in South Dunedin. Photo: Nathan Mckinnon/RNZ
Chris Ford, who lives in a Kainga Ora property in South Dunedin did evacuate on Thursday night.
Ford told Nine to Noon there was a dodgy pipe on his property which had caused him the most concern, leading to his decision to take a precautionary step and leave.
He was safe in a motel despite his landlord taking steps to sandbag the property on Thursday.
Ford said he hoped the pipe would be fixed following this bout of flooding and he hoped to return to his home either later on Friday or on Saturday.
William Priest. Photo: Tess Brunton/RNZ
William Priest, who lives on Bayview Road, said it was not the best night to celebrate his 18th birthday, after heavy rain flooded his backyard overnight, fearing water would get into his home.
He said water was rising, and as high as the deck.
"We have a deck, and it is almost on the first step already, so eventually it will start going up, which is not a good thing."
Flooding affects farmers
Meanwhile, homes in the small settlement at Toko Mouth, near Milton, are surrounded by water and are at risk of flooding as rain continues to fall.
Local resident and farmer Simon Davies said they had a 130 millimetres of rain in the past 24 hours, and the power was out.
There was about 70 homes in the settlement, Davies said.
He said paddocks were flooded and he was hopeful stock managed to get to higher ground.
Another resident of the settlement, Glenda Wallace, told RNZ roads out were impassable.
Flooding in Dunedin Photo: RNZ/Nathan McKinnon
At least one tree was down on the road from Milton that ran alongside Tokomairiro River and the coast road to Kaitangata, although higher, was also flooded and damaged.
Wallace said her house was elevated, although other homes in the settlement had water rising and the nearby creek was "running high and fast".
She had no power, but a log fire meant she could make tea and toast.
She said she and her neighbours were checking in on each other.
In the meantime, she would be "hunkering down with a cup of tea and a book".
