New Zealand Storm Bill Tops $89m

1000+ people evacuated, at least 15,000 houses without power

February 18, 2004
From correspondents in Wellington

HEAVY rain continued to fall on New Zealand's lower North Island yesterday, already inundated by floodwaters after the worst summer storm for 40 years lashed the country.

Waterlogged: farms have been devestated
The cost of the storm is likely to exceed $89 million, making it one of the country's most destructive storms, the NZ Insurance Council said yesterday.

The bill could climb even higher if claims continued at high levels over the next few days, chief executive Chris Ryan said.

More than 1000 people have been evacuated from their flooded homes, at least 15,000 houses were still without power and the highway network was in chaos with 70 per cent of roads in some areas impassable.

Thousands of hectares of countryside spreading 250km north from the capital Wellington remained flooded as emergency teams battled to clear roads of fallen trees and restore power, telephone and water supplies.

One house was washed into a swollen river at the rural town of Feilding, 155km from Wellington, and three more were in danger, Radio New Zealand reported.

With water supplies contaminated by sewage, officials urged residents to put out buckets to collect rain for domestic use.

The main highway between Wellington and Auckland remained blocked, although authorities said an alternative route was open.

A state of civil emergency remained in place in the Manawatu and Rangitikei regions where many rural schools were closed and farmers began counting the loss of stock washed away by floodwaters.

The storm brought torrential rain and winds gusting up to 150km/h around Wellington, which has already had nearly four times its total average February rainfall.

The Daily Telegraph

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