Queenstown resident says floodwater was gushing through property ‘like a river’
A severe winter storm in Queenstown, New Zealand, caused significant flooding, leading to the evacuation of 45 residents. Blocked culverts and heavy rainfall resulted in water rushing through residential properties, causing extensive damage.
Why it matters
Extreme weather events highlight the vulnerability of local infrastructure and the need for better disaster preparedness and maintenance.
Forty-five people were evacuated in Queenstown overnight due to flooding as a significant winter storm battered the South Island. Fire and Emergency said some properties were evacuated around Fernhill because of concerns about slips and land instability. A blocked culvert on Dart Place in Fernhill sent a massive waterfall through six properties on Arawata Terrace and Wye Place. Arawata Terrace resident Debra Clarke said her home was flooded and her family evacuated on Thursday night. Vehicles trapped as slips block southern highway Water was gushing around her property like a river, Clarke said. The water poured through her garden and into the lower level of her house. [Missing Credit]Footpath and bridge washed out by an overflowing and torrential One Mile Creek overnight at the roundabout. Photo: Guy Williams "About 12am last night my youngest daughter called out 'mum, mum, mum!', she saw the water coming up outside.
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