Buller District Deputy Mayor Sharon Roche and Civil Defence emergency management controller Al Lawn are providing an update on weather situation in the reigon.
Westland Civil Defence says residents should be ready to evacuate if required as weather conditions worsen. A state of emergency is in place across the West Coast as forecast rain hits.
The area around Franz Josef has seen the heaviest rain, as the West Coast and top of the South Island start to feel the bad weather. Hydrologists have stayed overnight at the nearby Waiho River to monitor rising levels.
Civil Defence urged Westport residents whose properties had previously flooded to keep a bag packed as they may have to evacuate their homes.
A state of emergency was declared after severe weather warnings were raised to red for Buller and Westland until Thursday afternoon.
“At this stage there’s no planned evacuation but we will know more this morning,” Buller District deputy mayor Sharon Roche said.
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