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New Zealand
A state of emergency was declared in three regions of New Zealand's South Island on Wednesday due to sudden flooding caused by incessant rains. Hundreds of families were forced to leave their homes on Thursday due to the situation. The Met department described the weather activity as an "atmospheric river" from the north, that has dumped more than 30 centimetres of rain on parts of the South Island. River banks have burst due to this extreme weather activity and has also felled trees, blocking major roads.
Around 233 homes were evacuated in Buller, on the west coast, and Nelson, where a state of emergency was declared after a month's worth of rain fell in just 15 hours.
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Video footage showed rivers flooded, with water gushing onto the roads. Nelson's main river, the Maitai, turned into a torrent and search and rescue teams were seen using rescue boats to check on flooded areas. The city's mayor Rachel Reese described the flash flooding as a "one-in-100-year event". She warned locals to treat all water as contaminated, because some sewers had broken.
Nelson resident Sam Lagrutta said the situation was "frightening" after police gave him just five minutes to leave his home. "I literally just grabbed a carry-on bag and filled it with my passport, wallet, and anything important I could find," he told the New Zealand Herald.
Expecting a similar deluge on Friday, 160 households along the South Island's west coast were also asked to evacuate.
"This is a chance to take a breath and set ourselves up for what comes nextâ¦don't get rid of those sandbags yet!" Buller Emergency Management posted on Facebook.
Buller has been hit by repeated flooding in the past few years. Mayor Jamie Cleine said frequent evacuations took a toll on a community bracing itself for more flooding.
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"It is extremely troubling for people financially and mentally. This is our reality until a long-term solution can be put in place," he was quoted as saying by the website Stuff.
Meanwhile, Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty was due to visit Nelson Thursday.
The North Island is also experiencing bad weather conditions. Three people were injured in a car accident in Northland after a tree fell on State Highway One.
(With inputs from agencies)