Gore residents allowed to return home

Residents of Gore will be allowed to return home from 6.00pm tonight.

Civil Defence controller Ian Davidson-Watts made the decision to allow people who live in Gore to go home after assessments of the river flows and condition of the flood bank in the town.

“The Mataura River has been slowly receding since it peaked in Gore about midday. We’ve also had assessments done of the flood bank and we’re now confident it is safe to let people go home.

The decision is for properties in Gore only, Dr Davidson-Watts said.

“We’ve been encouraged by the reducing water flows in the river and latest projections show that the river flow should be back down to around 2000 cumecs by 6pm, which is well below the design level for the flood bank.

“We thank people again for the way they responded when we needed to evacuate at short notice, and appreciate their patience while they have been away from home.”

The Gore bridge has also reopened to traffic, opening up access to and from Clinton via State Highway 1.

People are advised that Mataura is still evacuated and there are limited options for anyone travelling south via Gore. State Highway 1 is closed at Mataura.

Key points:

• People are advised to stay away from the Mataura River.
• Do not drive or walk through flood waters. The water may have washed away parts of the road and may contain debris.
• Treat all flood water as contaminated and unsafe.
• Mataura remains evacuated and police will do regular security patrols overnight.
• People in Gore should conserve water.
• A boil water notice is in place for Gore.

If your home or property was affected by the floods over the past few days, below are some tips to help as you embark on the clean-up

• Contact your insurance company and take photos.
• Treat all water as contaminated - so wash your hands thoroughly after you've been in contact with floodwaters & mud/silt from inside your house.
• Do not move back into a damp house, particularly if you have young children/babies.
• If you had a power cut food in your freezer will stay safely frozen for up to 24 hours as long as the freezer door is kept closed. After 24 hours the food should be discarded.
• Please limit the amount of waste water your household is generating ie - from flushing the toilet, using the washing machine - as waste-water systems are struggling to cope with the deluge.
• Please check on your neighbours - particularly if they live alone, are elderly or vulnerable.
• Check the Council website and Facebook page for more information.
• If you need support please contact Gore Victim Support 0800 842 846
• Please call the Council’s after service 2090330 or message our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GoreDC/ if you have any queries.