Hundreds evacuated as ‘frightening’ floods hit New Zealand

WELLINGTON, 19 August 2022, (TON): Hundreds of families on New Zealand’s South Island were forced to leave their homes on Thursday after dramatic flooding prompted a state of emergency in three regions.

A tropically fuelled storm has dumped more than 30 centimetres (11 inches) of rain on parts of the South Island, causing rivers to burst their banks.

The extreme weather has also felled trees, blocking major roads.

A state of emergency was declared Wednesday in Buller, on the west coast, and Nelson where 233 homes have been evacuated after a month’s worth of rain fell in just 15 hours.

The deluge transformed Nelson’s main river, the Maitai, into a torrent flooding houses, exposing pipes and leaving streets knee-deep in water.

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