However, fears of a repeat of the devastating 2015 floods did not materialise — and Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said the area’s recently "tuned up" Three Waters infrastructure performed well.
Mud tanks, pipes and screens were kept clean and the system worked well, Mr Radich said as he toured the suburb yesterday.
Still, more underground infrastructure was required in the short term to protect properties, Mr Radich said.
"I think the evidence is quite simple.
"Yesterday morning there was a heck of a lot of water on city streets, but by yesterday evening a heck of a lot of that had dissipated.
"So, the pumps were working, they were getting rid of the water, the problem [surface flooding at the height of the storm] was that pumps were just overwhelmed with the severity of the storm.
"The answer is we need more pumps, we need more pipes, we need more infrastructure to deal with it.
"We need to get rid of that water more effectively.
"And that's what Forbury is all about", he said.
"We've got to get a pumping station there and get rid of all that water.
"That's about the only place that's got a substantial quantity of water left in it."
South Dunedin is the subject of a multi-year Dunedin City Council-Otago Regional Council joint programme — South Dunedin Future — tasked with developing ways to address climate change and flooding issues in the suburb.
The programme though reported a delay last month after a Three Waters flood model was found to lack the level of detail that a forthcoming risk assessment required.
Now, Mr Radich said, the October storm — which over 48 hours brought more than double the rain the city receives on average for the entire month — answered a lot of questions.
"You can't get a better model than that", Mr Radich said.
"That's exactly what I keep saying about the groyne on the [St Clair] beach.
"And that's another reason why we need that groyne on the beach because all this modelling, planning, computer projections — let's put on something that's proven to work and see how it goes.
"I feel exactly the same about South Dunedin.
"We've had so much hot air over so many years and no more pipes or pumps in the ground.
"And so this weekend has categorically proven that we need more infrastructure."
South Dunedin Community Network community engagement and operations manager Kirsten Gibson said considering the impacts of the floods in 2015, there was "likely quite a bit of fear and anxiety in the community" as the rain began hitting hard and the water started to rise.
However, despite the amount of water, the impact appeared to be less than the 2015 floods, Ms Gibson said.
The Three Waters system had coped relatively well, but there were still specific areas — specific streets and houses — that needed attention, recovery and support, Ms Gibson said.
"Long term solutions to the needs we have in South Dunedin are complex", she said.
"The South Dunedin Future team have been engaging with a wide variety of experts and next year will be taking us through what picture can be drawn from their knowledge and what options we can take.
"We still have decisions to make as a community about our long-term future and we need substantial funding and support to make those decisions."
Otago regional councillor Elliot Weir said there was a swathe of options that would be on the table when the South Dunedin Future work was presented to the community.
These included pipes and pumps, "but also more nature-based solutions and urban redesign".
"The options aren't mutually exclusive, and a range of solutions will be needed, but I'm hesitant to focus on one specific solution before that full picture of reports and community input is clear.
"South D is by no means out of the water as we look to the next deluge, and the one after that", Cr Weir said.
Cr Bryan Scott said while better infrastructure could help in the short term, it would not address the medium and long-term issues of climate change and sea level rise.
"Developing Forbury Park and other low-lying areas into wetlands would be a smart move.
"The proposed scheme of purchasing and leasing back flood risk homes is also a step in the right direction and it should not have been discarded by the present government", he said.
Cr Andrew Noone said he went to the vulnerable areas with historical issues on Friday.
He too noted that surface flooding in those areas quickly receded.
"You would have to give the DCC stormwater infrastructure a pretty good grading in relation to its performance as compared with 2015", Cr Noone said.
"These vulnerable areas impacted with this flood will certainly help inform any further risk assessment for [South Dunedin Future], particularly floor level data", he said.
Dunedin city councillor Steve Walker said the potential value of Forbury Park, including its "water detention capacity" was highlighted in the aftermath of the storm.
