Farmer Sir David Carter said more than 250mm of rain fell overnight at his property.<\/p>\n
“The rain gauge was overflowing this morning. I’ve never seen so much rain and I’ve been farming here for 40 years.”<\/p>\n
Carter said paddocks were flooded and trees were are down, which left him stranded on the farm.<\/p>\n
“We moved stock to higher ground last night because we knew this was coming, but a farm assistant had to swim nine sheep to safety at 6.30am.<\/p>\n
Farm worker rescues stranded sheep after huge downpours at Teddington, Banks Peninsula.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0Supplied<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n “I’d say there will be slips on the hills but we won’t know the extent of the damage until the rain stops.”<\/p>\n He said he didn’t think they had had stock losses.<\/p>\n In Christchurch, Stuart Payne, an Opawa resident of 35 years, told RNZ it was the second-worst flooding he’d seen in the area.<\/p>\n He said the response from council for the city’s metropolitan areas was delayed, despite flooding in various parts of the city, while most of the focus was currently on the Banks Peninsula.<\/p>\n Flooding in Opawa, Christchurch.\u00a0<\/span>Photo:\u00a0Supplied \/ Stuart Payne<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n He also questioned why the region hadn’t been placed in a state of emergency. No declaration had been made by 10am on Tuesday.<\/p>\n “Maybe they’ve been caught out.”<\/p>\n Payne sent RNZ photos from his drive on Fifield Terrace, where surface flooding has covered the road.<\/p>\n “It’s like a massive lake.”<\/p>\nOpawa flooding<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n