Queenstown residents evacuated as flooding, slips threaten homes

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.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."About 12am last night my youngest daughter called out 'mum, mum, mum!', she saw the water coming up outside. It was gushing down the bank, down the stairway, it was just like a river," Clarke said."Civil Defence arrived and they said they were going to have to evacuate us and turn the power off. We went to the Heritage [Hotel], the staff were awesome looking after us and there's a bit of camaraderie as we're all refugees together."There was about an inch of silt through the house, damage to her carpet, flooring and boarding, and her freshly landscaped gardens had been ripped up, she said.Her cat was also missing after the storm.She had never seen anything like this in 36 years living at the home.Clarke said she was frustrated the council did not check and clear the culvert before the storm.Wye Place resident Jamie Turner had been helping clear the flooded street."Two houses over the back are pretty flooded and overflowing. It's just the blocked drain here and the blocked culvert up the top that causes it," he said."I work at the primary school so I went down there this morning to see how many kids turned up because the school was closed, a few turned up."Queenstown Lakes mayor John Glover said 45 people were evacuated from their homes overnight because of flooding.People were evacuated from Gorge Road, Fernhill and the Qbox campground in Queenstown and moved into temporary accommodation.Surface flooding on a road in Queenstown on Friday.RNZ / Katie ToddGlover said nine homes had been affected by flooding and building inspections would be carried out.Firefighters went to about 16 flooding jobs during the night across Queenstown, Frankton, Arrrowtown, Wanaka and Lake Hāwea.In some cases, water went into homes.Fire and Emergency said there were many other calls about flooded roads and sections that firefighters did not attend.Queenstown Lakes District Council said crews had been working around the clock responding to flooding, clearing debris, reopening roads and checking infrastructure across the district."If you need to travel today, expect it to take longer and follow signage and crew instructions in affected areas - this helps them to get the job done safely and as quickly as possible. And if you can avoid travelling through the One Mile Roundabout today, please do," the council said.The South Island has been hit with a massive winter storm that brought heavy rain, flooding, rockfall, slips and snow.More than 300 millimetres of rain had fallen in Franz Josef while more than 20 centimetres of snow fell in some parts of the South Island on Thursday.Queenstown Lakes District Council said its emergency operations centre had been busy overnight responding to problems caused by heavy rain.Surface flooding at the Queenstown Events Centre.Facebook / Queenstown Lakes District CouncilIt had set up a civil defence welfare hub in Queenstown overnight to support people.In a social media post, it said multiple slips, washouts, rockfalls, and surface flooding were affecting the roading network, particularly on Haast Pass Road, Luggate Hill, Tarras Road, and Kingston Road."Expect delays, traffic management, and ongoing disruptions throughout the day," the post said.RNZ / Katie ToddThe council was asking people to avoid unnecessary travel and take extra care on the roads.Surface flooding, debris, and other hazards might still pose some risks, it said.The Mountain Safety Council has warned of high avalanche danger across the Southern Alps.The council said naturally triggered avalanches were likely and human-triggered avalanches are very likely across the Arthur's Pass, Aoraki /Mt Cook, Ohau, Queenstown, Wanaka, and Aspiring regions.Highway closuresState Highway 6 between Makarora and Lake Hāwea has been closed due to a slip on Friday morning.Motorists were urged to avoid the area or delay their trip.The Transport Agency said slips, rockfalls and treefalls were a continuing concern.State Highway 94 to Milford Sound remains closed from the Lower Hollyford Road intersection to Donne River due to the avalanche risk.It was not expected to reopen until Saturday.The Crown Range Road was closed on Friday morning between Eastburn Road and Cardrona.The Transport Agency had area warnings for surface flooding for State Highway 6 from Haast to Hokitika, State Highway 8A from Tarras to Luggate, State Highway 8 from Omarama to Clearburn, and for snow from Springfield to Otira on State Highway 73.