‘Another foot and it would have been coming inside’ - Kaikōura residents assess floodwaters after an uncomfortable night
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
More than 100 Kaikōura residents were denied the comfort of their own bed last night, as they sheltered from floodwaters that deluged the town following dramatic rainfall.
Around 140 people gathered at the town’s full to capacity Takahanga Marae, before the district council arranged further evacuation centres during a state of emergency that was declared following a red rain warning for parts of Marlborough and Canterbury.
The Kaikōura mountain ranges were hammered with 220mm of rain in the 24 hours to 2pm Tuesday, with Kaikōura township being deluged with 100mm in 24 hours — the average July rainfall is around 61mm.
Multiple areas were affected by flooding from rivers in the region that were swollen by recent heavy rain, together with other areas of surface flooding,
Dave Broadhurst has lived in Kaikōura most of his life. On Tuesday, he stood watching the floodwaters build around his property, comparing the scene to the last time he saw flooding like this — nearly 60 years ago.
“I’ve seen plenty of water around in my time,” the 80-year-old said.
“In 1965, we had something very similar to this. The flood in 1993 was very bad as it came through the township …This isn’t as bad as that, thank goodness.”
The creek near his property rose within two to three hours, transforming from a trickle to a torrent at the peak of the downpour. He had to shift his five horses to higher ground when they were knee-deep in water. His own home sat perilously close to being flooded – the water came right up over the step.
'Another foot and it would have been coming inside,' he said.
But he wasn’t nervous, and by 4.30pm, there was a glimmer of hope. The water had dropped nearly 6 to 8 inches in the last hour.
“That's a positive,” Broadhurst said, still keeping watch from home. He hasn't evacuated, choosing instead to monitor the situation as the rain continued. “Let’s hope it keeps dropping.”
The situation remained an “active emergency” as night fell, Kaikōura District Council confirmed.
The Kowhai River had breached its banks at 10.30am on Tuesday and worried residents navigated the floodwaters in boats and utes on Tuesday afternoon.
A red rain warning remained in place for parts of Marlborough and Canterbury including the Kaikōura ranges.
Council water warning in Kaikōura
The heavy rainfall has impacted the town’s wastewater network, a district council statement confirmed with advice to avoid contact with floodwater, ponded water or wastewater-affected areas.
Children and pets should be kept away from affected locations and hands should be washed thoroughly if it came into contact with contaminated water.
Multiple rescues
Three people had to be rescued from three different cars trapped in floodwaters yesterday, with one rescue taking four hours.
Homeowners and their pets were also taken to safety.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s (FENZ) specialist water rescue teams saved a person from a vehicle trapped in floodwaters near Mt Lyford on Tuesday morning, supported by members of the Waiau Volunteer Fire Brigade.
The incident was reported shortly after 3am and the occupant of the vehicle was rescued about 7am.
The Specialist Water Rescue Team members also responded to an incident on the Inland Kaikōura Road, where two vehicles were reported to have crashed at about 6.40am.
Two specialist teams of firefighters from Canterbury were pre-deployed to Kaikōura on Monday afternoon.
Closures and detours
State Highway 1 between Waipara in Canterbury and Ward in Marlborough remained closed overnight.
An inland detour route could also be subject to closures, New Zealand Transport Agency spokesman said.
Elsewhere around the South Island, especially in inland areas, people are urged to be wary of the risk of snow and ice.
There is still a high risk of slips, flooding, fallen trees, power outages and communication disruptions in Marlborough, with flooding widespread on state highways, a Marlborough Emergency Management statement said.
Incident Controller Chris Faulls said road conditions had deteriorated on Tuesday and residents should avoid travel wherever possible.
Power outages hit Marlborough, North Canterbury
By early Tuesday evening the Marlborough Lines website registered 20 properties as being without power.
The Mainpower website showed more than 160 properties in the Kaikōura area were without power as of 6pm Tuesday.
“Due to severe weather conditions and failing light staff are unable to complete a patrol of the overhead lines. Staff will be back onsite when light and weather allow a further patrol to be carried out,” a Mainpower statement said.
A land and water search was continuing for an 80-year-old woman missing from Golden Bay, with police also appealing for boaties and residents with CCTV footage to assist the investigation.
There were concerns for the welfare of Natalie, who was last seen leaving her Pōhara home on foot about 8.30am on Monday.
Further south, the Waitaki district remained in a State of Emergency after flooding in Oamaru on Monday.
More snow on the way
Snowfall warnings are also in place for State Highway 73 at Porters Pass in Canterbury, with 5-8cm expected near the summit by 6pm Wednesday.
At Arthur’s Pass, also on SH73, around 1-2cm of snow is expected at the summit.
Snow showers are forecast to leave up to 3cm of snow on the ground from Wednesday morning in Otago, on State Highway 8/Lindis Pass, the Crown Range Road and State Highway 94/Milford Road.
Road users were urged to plan ahead and be prepared for travel disruption.