Nelson Homes Flooded After Intense Downpour Triggers Flash Floods, One Injured As Residents Flee Rising Waters

Nelson, New Zealand— Torrential rain turned quiet residential streets in Nelson into rivers Friday afternoon after a flash flood burst stormwater drains and pushed waist-deep water into dozens of homes. Fire and Emergency said 35 houses were inundated in the Stoke and Tahunanui areas. One resident was injured while trying to wade out.

The downpour hit at 2:10 p.m. MetService had issued a heavy rain watch but not a red warning. Within 40 minutes, 52 millimeters fell on already saturated ground. Footage from residents showed water surging over fences, lifting wheelie bins and submerging cars to their windows. Power was cut to 400 properties as a precaution.

The injured resident, a 67-year-old woman, slipped on submerged steps while carrying her dog and hit her head. Neighbors pulled her onto a deck and called 111. Paramedics treated her for a concussion and hypothermia. She was taken to Nelson Hospital. No other injuries were reported, but several elderly residents had to be carried out by firefighters.

"We had water up to the kitchen bench in 20 minutes, nowhere for it to go," one Stoke resident said. He said he lost whiteware, carpets and family photos. Another said his garage filled and his tools floated out onto the street. Emergency management opened a welfare center at Saxton Stadium for displaced families.

Fire crews used boats and a Unimog to shuttle people from the worst-hit streets. Police closed Rocks Road and parts of Main Road Stoke where culverts failed. The Nelson City Council said its stormwater network was overwhelmed and that contractors were clearing blocked inlets with diggers. Sandbags ran out at two supply points by 4 p.m.

The council's emergency controller said this was the third flash flood in Nelson in two years. He said stopbank work upstream helped but could not handle this volume. Insurers were already receiving calls. One local insurer said claims would likely run into millions after similar events in 2022. A geotechnical team will check slopes for slips overnight.

MetService said a slow-moving low from the Tasman stalled over the region and may bring another 30 to 50 millimeters overnight. Residents in low-lying areas were told to prepare to leave again. The mayor visited the welfare center and said emergency payments would be made available for food and temporary accommodation.

By 7 p.m., water was receding but left thick silt and debris. Crews were pumping out homes and marking those unsafe to enter. The evacuation order remains for 12 properties deemed structurally compromised. Clean-up is expected to take days.