New Zealand: Flooded city might 'take years' to recover

Hundreds of people were asked to leave their homes as torrential rain flooded parts of New Zealand for a fourth day on Friday.

The city of Nelson on the north coast of the South Island has been the worst hit, with its mayor saying on Friday that it could "take years, not months" to recover.

Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese said the effects of the floods "couldn't be overstated."

Over three days, Nelson had 172 mm (6.8 inches) of rain, according to weather forecaster Metservice. The figure is more than double the average amount of rainfall Nelson would typically expect throughout the month of August. 

On Friday, the Metservice's red alert remained in place for Nelson, with more rain forecast for South Island over the weekend.  

Nelson floods wreak 'heartbreaking' damage

Reese urged residents to save water as a landslide disrupted the city's supplies.

"The damage I saw in Nelson was heartbreaking, and I think we are years away from a recovery," Alec Louverdis, group controller for Nelson Tasman Civil Defense, told a news conference.

"As we were driving, there were slips everywhere," he said, referring to landslides.

More than 400 homes in Nelson have been evacuated, said Kieran McAnulty, New Zealand's emergency management minister.

Some 60 homes have potentially become uninhabitable as a result of flooding or landslides, McAnulty added. 

North Island also hit 

Meanwhile, weather forecasters issued orange warnings for large parts of New Zealand's North Island. 

Some 400 homes suffered power outages in the town of Kaitaia as it was cut off by flooding and landslides. 

The New Zealand Herald reported that the North Island's Taranaki region also witnessed flooding caused by severe weather. That led to voluntary evacuations, road closures, and sewerage overflows — but some officials have expressed a glimmer of hope. 

"The latest information I have received is that the rivers have started to recede," said Taranaki Civil Defence controller Todd Velvin.

"However, we're not shutting shop and we'll be keeping a close eye on things. And we will provide updates and guidance if needed," he said. 

Climate change 'more than likely' a factor

Climate change is fueling more intense — and frequent — extreme weather events. 

Experts have attributed New Zealand's heavy rain to an "atmospheric river," a narrow band of water vapor high in the atmosphere over New Zealand. 

"It's safe to say that with respect to the influence of climate change, it is more than likely playing a role," Daniel Kingston, senior geography lecturer at the University of Otago, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

fb/msh (AFP, Reuters)