Communities are getting stuck into the huge clean-up after last week's rain. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Communities across the top of the South Island are dealing with a mega clean-up task ahead, following last week's deluge.
Homes in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough have been let uninhabitable, roads are damaged and properties have been inundated with flood waters.
Rural Support Trust Top of the South chairperson Richard Kempthorne said the destruction was significant.
"The damage is looking huge, so there are a lot of people, particularly on the Motueka, but also the Wai-iti River where the river has gone wide and very high and caused a lot of damage."
Kempthorne said long-term residents were in shock, as they had never seen such severe flooding.
"I think to put the scale into perspective, this is for both the Waimea, the Wai-iti and the Motueka rivers, these are floods that you would expect to see maybe once every 100 years. So they are massive floods that pretty much everybody who's living by them, haven't seen before."
Kempthorne said the trust expected the demand for services to be very high, but it is too early to say exactly how much help would be needed.
MetService is also warning the regions to prepare for more thunderstorms, wind and rain later this week.
Kempthorne said people were hoping for the best.
"Probably the adrenaline rush that comes immediately after an event like this is wearing off or worn off, and so they're probably really hoping that the weather event that is coming is not anywhere near as severe as what we've just had," he said.
He urged anyone that needed help to get in touch with the trust or Civil Defence.
Govt unlocks extra support for flood-hit farmers
The government has also unlocked extra support for flood-affected farmers and growers, with $100,000 made available to support and coordinate recovery efforts.
It says $20,000 of that is earmarked for the Rural Support Trust and the rest for organisations that work with farmers and growers on-the-ground.
It is in addition to the $100,000 previously committed to the Mayoral Relief Fund.
Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson told Morning Report the first step was to assess what was needed in the flood-stricken area.
"In the first instance farmers will just be looking out for their stock and another weather event due through shortly so we're all looking at that."
Patterson said the government would be assessing the needs of farmers and growers.
"We're there to support them as best we can."
Patterson said the government was "moving at pace" to bolster flood defences.
"But you know these big weather events and you can only mitigate so much."
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