NEW ZEALAND: EMERGENCY DECLARED IN CANTERBURY AS FLOODS THREATEN THOUSANDS OF HOMES

Sun 30 May 2021:

A state of local emergency has been declared for Canterbury region in New Zealand after a night of heavy rain resulted in severe flooding and power cuts, the local government announced on Sunday.

“The Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group has declared a state of local emergency in Canterbury, extending emergency powers across the entire region, as heavy rain continues to cause flooding,” the statement reads.

Acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi, who visited the hardest-hit southern parts of the area, said about 3,000 homes were at risk and the army had been mobilised to assist with evacuations if necessary.

Neil Brown, the mayor of Ashburton, said about 4,000 people in the town could be forced to evacuate if the Ashburton River breaks its banks.

According to the Stuff news portal, over 4,000 homes are currently at risk of flooding in the city of Ashburton, the authorities began evacuations of the most affected areas.

The police urge people to stay home and self-evacuate if they have concerns about flooding, the website said.

Several roads have been closed across the region, some 300 households have experienced power cuts, Stuff stated. The downpours are likely to continue until Monday in what weather forecasters call a “one-in-a-hundred-year event.”

No casualties have been reported yet.

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