Otago heavy rainfall update

MetService advise that rainfall intensities in the Dunedin area are expected to ease overnight from now on. Flows in the smaller catchments such as the Leith, Lindsay, and Silver Stream will then start to stabilise or reduce.

The flow in the Water of Leith is presently around 100 cumecs – which compares with the peak of 95 cumecs in 2006.
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The planned upgrades to the Leith Flood Protection Scheme, once completed, will contain a flood of 171 cumecs.

There is some surface flooding from the channel of Lindsay Creek onto North Road just upstream of the Hospice.

Water is still expected to go over the Gordon Road spillway on the Taieri but the quantity is not expected to be high and the duration is not expected to be long.

ORC has updated landholders in critical parts of that area on developments. The Silver Stream is not expected to flood into Mosgiel township.

It is unlikely that flows in the Taieri River will reach the threshold (1100 cumecs at Outram) at which the Riverside spillway gates are dropped, however the river will remain high for some time.

Landholders in the Pomahaka catchment have also been told that flows in the Pomahaka are high and will continue to rise overnight.

Landholders near the Kakanui River have been contacted and advised of similar circumstances there.

For more information go to http://water.orc.govt.nz, call the Flowphone on 0800 426 463 or you can receive flood alerts via Twitter. For more information, see the ORC Twitter Flood Alerts page at www.orc.govt.nz

ENDS

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