A local state of emergency still hanging around Christchurch and Banks Peninsula, but they decided to let it go in the Selwyn district last Friday afternoon. About 50 properties in Selwyn got hit by some flooding, while some areas in Banks Peninsula are still struggling to get back on their feet due to flooding and slips, like the small town of Little River.
People in the Selwyn district are talking about some crazy rain that came down on them, a record amount that they’ve never seen before. The aftermath of this insane weather has been a big mess in Canterbury, causing floods, landslides, and cutting off parts of Banks Peninsula.
Even though the emergency is still on in Christchurch and the peninsula, they lifted it in Selwyn. Around 50 properties in the district got flooded, and one lady in Tai Tapu is pretty upset about it. Pip Adams and Stan Barker got hit hard by the rain, with water filling up their barn and causing at least $15,000 in repairs.
Adams is not holding back on her frustration, blaming the authorities for not opening Lake Ellesmere to the sea to prevent all this mess. She’s calling for a meeting with ECAN to sort things out. She also thinks the emergency declaration came in way too late.
Mandie Reid, a resident of Doyleston, had a close call when contaminated floodwater started creeping into her backyard, wrecking her garage. She credits some seedbags from her husband’s company for saving their house from the flood. Reid was in full “fight or flight mode” during the chaos and even mentioned that her birthday didn’t matter much compared to the situation with their home.
Another unlucky resident, Tom Dowie, woke up to find his house flooded with some nasty water. Everything got ruined, and now he’s crashing at his son’s place until he can clean up the mess. Dowie’s dealing with insurance and preparing to tear everything up to start fresh.
June Gillanders, a long-time Tai Tapu local, is living on the edge of the Halswell River, with water surrounding her house. She’s seen a lot in her 55 years there, but this flooding is on another level. Her garage is underwater, but luckily, it hasn’t reached her house yet.
Brent Rawston, who owns a farm and a winery on Old Tai Tapu Road, managed to keep things under control with stormwater basins he helped set up. They handled the heavy rain well, protecting the area from getting even worse.
Little River took a hard hit from the flooding, but things are starting to look up. Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell flew over Selwyn and Banks Peninsula to see the damage. He visited the folks in Little River, who’ve been cut off but are slowly getting back on track. There’s still some water on the road, but they’re making progress.
The authorities are standing by their decision on when to declare the emergency. They’ll figure out the funding once they know the full extent of the damage. It’s been a tough time for everyone affected by the floods, but the community is coming together to support each other through this challenging period.