Some in north Nelson evacuating, bracing for rivers to burst banks

Residents north of Nelson are preparing for the worst as rivers fill to bursting levels in an event some said was worse than the 2010 and 2011 floods.

Cable Bay Adventure Park co-owner Richard Ussher said it was “pissing down” with rain and the Wakapuaka river looked like it was going to get “way higher” than it did yesterday.

“It’s pretty massive. We’re expecting a lot of damage.”

He said luckily it looked like structures were looking like they would keep clear of floodwaters, but it was a matter of “wait and see” in terms of how big the cleanup job would be afterwards.

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“We’re just trying to stay dry and safe because there’s nothing you can really do,” he said.

“It’s certainly the highest we’ve ever seen [the river], but we’ve only been here for four years. The locals are saying it could easily top the all-time [levels] for Wakapuaka.”

Cable Bay farmer Barbara Stuart said it was worse than 2011 flooding when the area was badly damaged and cut off for days.

She said it felt like “the hills are just falling down.”

There will be slips on the road and at least three households have evacuated to neighbours’ homes, she said.

She said it had been raining constantly, but the really heavy rain started at about 11am on Thursday and continued past midday. The campground was flooded, as well.

“There’s real carnage at Cable Bay.”

She said it was a combination of heavy rain in the Richmond Ranges and springs activating in the hillsides sending water flowing down.

“The thing is we just have to deal with one thing at a time and we will get through.”