The Otago Regional Council’s flood management team advise that the following rivers are rising steadily: the Kakanui, Shag and Taieri Rivers, the Silver Stream, Water of Leith and the Lindsay Creek.

Natural Hazards Manager Jean-Luc Payan says that the rivers are expected to continue to rise overnight. His team will be on duty through the night, monitoring and modelling the impact of the rain as it moves across the region. They are in constant contact with Emergency Management Otago, who are also working through the night.

Surface flooding is impacting roads across the region, particularly in coastal areas but also inland, impacting highways in the Central Otago District.

Real-time information on river levels and rainfall is available on the ORC’s WaterInfo site, linked from www.orc.govt.nz.

There is also a Twitter feed for each catchment – sign up details are here: http://www.orc.govt.nz/Information-and-Services/Twitter-Flood-Alert-Service

ENDS

The next update from ORC will be issued around 8am tomorrow unless the situation alters significantly. Further updates tonight will be coming from Emergency Management Otago.

Media contact for both ORC and Emergency Management Otago overnight will be: Michele Poole, duty Public Information Manager, 0278398306

Otago Regional Council river and rainfall information: www.orc.govt.nz/waterinfo

Otago Regional Council website: www.orc.govt.nz

Emergency Management Otago website: www.otagocdem.govt.nz

ORC Facebook: www.facebook.com/OtagoRegionalCouncil

ORC Twitter: @OtagoRC

Emergency Management Otago Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OtagoCDEM