A regional state of emergency has been
declared in Otago, in support of Dunedin City and Waitaki
Districts, which have both declared local states of
emergency in their own jurisdictions.
Group
Controller Chris Hawker said that Otago Regional Council
Chairman Stephen Woodhead made the declaration at 7.30pm.
“It gives us the ability to call on the resources of the
NZ Defence Force as the impact of the flooding spreads,”
he said.
Otago Regional Council’s flood managers
are closely monitoring the Silver Stream, which has begun to
overtop the spillway at Gordon Road and flood rural land
outside Mosgiel.
Evacuations are occurring in some
low-lying areas of Oamaru, Mosgiel and Dunedin. A house in
Oterahura is also being evacuated and emergency management
staff are assessing the extent of flooding in the Ida
Valley.
Highways and local roads are also closed by
flooding.
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