Charlie Gates/Stuff
Johnny Morris on Eglinton St in Avondale during floods in Christchurch. The water had breached one of his three steps. Johnny Morris, on Eglinton St, said his sinks and toilets were backing up as the water submerged his first step and reached his garage. “We’ve got a bit to go yet,” he said. “I’m wracked that people are sightseeing and creating waves as they rush by. “The council needs to close the road.”
Charlie Gates/Stuff
Niven St resident Chris Davies on his flooded property. A wave from a passing car rolls across his driveway.
“Certainly the rain is coming through as expected,” MetService meteorologist Sonja Farmer said. “This event is expected to take place over the next 40-odd hours from now until Monday morning, so the expectation is that there’ll be a lot more rain. “The problem is that a lot of it will be falling in the high country, and the rivers are going to be as much of an issue as the actual rain falling in urban areas,” Farmer said. MetService meteorologist Tom Adams said late Saturday that the most significant impact would come from the rain’s “longevity and persistence”, rather than short bursts of rainfall.
Electricity is out to hundreds of homes in Christchurch and Canterbury, while some residents report wading through water above their knees. There's more rain to come.