‘The heavens opened up’ over Otago

By Laine Priestley

A South Otago family thought they had escaped the worst of Tuesday’s sudden deluge — then a flash flood brought a wall of water rushing through their property.

Sally Benington, of Beaumont, said if you looked out her window at 7.30pm on Tuesday, you would have thought you were sitting on a houseboat in a particularly fast-moving portion of the Clutha River.

Beaumont resident Jamie Benington pumps floodwater from underneath his home after a river of water engulfed his property. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery

"We thought it missed us, we thought the rain had missed us — [We] then looked out the window, and go ‘Oh my gosh’.

"It was just there in a flash — a river just running really strong right around both sides of the house."

They were among the many residents in South and Central Otago affected by an intense burst of torrential rain and hail brought by thunderstorms.

MetService said there had been nearly 4000 lightning strikes across parts of Otago and South Canterbury on Tuesday afternoon.

Clutha District Lawrence-Tuapeka ward Cr Jock Martin shows some of the half-golf ball-sized hail that pelted his home on Tuesday night. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery

Ms Benington said the wall of water brought all their fences down, ripped concrete from their path, left their laundry room covered in a thick layer of mud, and fodder beet they had planted was strewn over the entire area.

Their spa pool almost floated away and floodwater contaminated with cattle waste from nearby farms had soaked their home foundations.

"It's just left a big mess for us to clean ... and we probably won’t know the full extent of the damage for months and months," Ms Benington said.

Over the hill in Hunt Rd, Clutha District Lawrence-Tuapeka Ward councillor Jock Martin was watching as "the heavens opened up and Mother Nature delivering a hammering of hail".

West Otago farmers, from left, Murray Patterson, Ray MacDonald and Paul Murray clear debris of logs, grass and dirt from the cycle trail bridge over Bowlers Creek. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery

"The hail would’ve been the size of half a golf ball and was coming down for 45 minutes."

Hail beat down on two cars, causing golf ball-sized dents, smashing one of the windscreens and damaging wing mirrors.

Cr Martin said his spouting was overwhelmed and water started to leak into his home.

"We're just in the cleanup mode, as you can see."

Roger Cotton was at a loss as to where the tide of timber debris had come from. Photo: Nick Brook

Farmer Roger Cotton said a "tidal wave of rainfall" up to a metre deep swept down the Hunt Rd valley.

"In 34 years we’ve never seen anything like it. You could hear the roar from up here, and we just watched this front of water almost the width of the valley floor rolling down to the main road," Mr Cotton said.

Down the road, some West Otago farmers had started clearing the Otago Central Rail Trail of logs and debris.

Farmer Alan Murray said he was at home over the hill from State Highway 8, hugging his two grandchildren to his sides as they watched a "maelstrom of thunder and lightning" hammer the area.

His property had not suffered, but his plants got some well-needed watering.

Eddie Fitzgerald stands on an Otago Gold Cycle Trail bridge over Bowler Creek, 5km west of Lawrence, where baleage, large logs and other debris had washed over the chest-high railings. Photo: Nick Brook

On Tuesday, police said there had been extensive surface flooding on State Highway8 between Millers Flat and Raes Junction and they closed the road between Raes Junction and Lawrence.

Niwa Lauder climate scientist Gregor Macara said Ranfurly recorded 28mm of rain between 5pm and 6pm on Tuesday, the highest hourly rainfall total in Ranfurly since hourly records began in November 2000.

laine.priestley@odt.co.nz