Urgent Alert: Severe Weather Warning and Road Closures in Westland District, New Zealand

The southern ward of Westland District has been declared under a local state of emergency due to extensive flooding causing significant problems across the district, including evacuations, road closures, and landslides in the South Westland area. This declaration allows controllers to direct and coordinate personnel, material, and other resources effectively and timely respond to an emergency.

Key Points:

1. Mayor Helen Lash has declared a local state of emergency in the southern ward of Westland District
2. Emergency managers are closely monitoring the situation as parts of the West Coast experience their wettest night in decades
3. Residents are advised to prepare getaway bags for potential evacuations and stay off the roads if they feel unsafe
4. Some road closures have been implemented, including State Highway 6 from Fox Glacier to Haast due to a slip, and Ross to Fox Glacier because of flooding and slips
5. Heavy rain warnings are in place for Westland until at least this afternoon, with a small chance they could escalate to red level warnings
6. The Waiho river near Franz Joseph is the main area of concern, with experts closely monitoring its levels

Additional Information:

RNZ, New Zealand’s statutory civil defense lifeline radio broadcaster, provides vital information and updates as they come to hand.

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell has urged Westland residents to stay off the roads as heavy rain continues to fall, emphasizing that officials and the community are well-prepared but need to remain vigilant.

Other Parts of South Island:

Warnings of heavy rain are still in force for other parts of the South Island, with a strong wind watch for Canterbury High Country. MetService has issued orange heavy rain warnings for Grey and Buller until 9pm Saturday, with 100 to 130mm of rain expected.

There are still orange heavy rain warnings for Otago Headwaters until 9am, and Fiordland, about and north of George Sound, until 6am Saturday. Canterbury High Country remains under strong wind watch until noon Saturday, with a moderate chance to upgrading to a warning as some northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.

Stay Informed:

For updates and information on this emergency situation, tune into RNZ or visit their website for further details. Stay safe and stay informed.