Evacuated Wanganui residents have returned to their properties after the flooded Whanganui River receded to a safe level.
Civil Defence controller Kevin Ross lifted the state of civil emergency on Wednesday afternoon, saying residents could go home and roads have re-opened.
The Wanganui Motor Boat Club on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ
About 110 houses and 50 businesses on Anzac Parade near the river were evacuated on Tuesday evening as the river level rose and a state of emergency was declared. Twenty more houses were evacuated about midnight when they were flooded after stopbanks failed north of the Dublin St Bridge on Anzac Parade.
The Whanganui River on Wednesday has dropped to 7.6 metres, 60 centimetres below the stopbanks. At its peak, it was almost lapping over banks in the North Island city, where it had risen to 8.25 metres, and at Pipiriki, where it was 14.6 metres.
Much of Kowhai Park, including the Wanganui Motor Boat Club was still underwater, but only small ponds of water remain on Anzac Road where several houses were flooded.
Kevin Ross said it was unusual for the Whanganui River to remain high for so long. He said the waters were slightly above the stopbanks and if it were not for the sandbagging, the flooding would have been much worse.
Authorities warned residents that all flood waters should be treated as contaminated from sewage, which has overflowed in places.
The council's group manager for regional services said staff would inspect its flood warning systems and stopbanks which may have been damaged in the flooding. Ged Shirley said he can't put a dollar figure on the flood damage yet.
Meanwhile, clean-up efforts are underway in the Ruapehu District on Wednesday after the severe weather caused damage to road networks.
Flood waters from the Whanganui River reach historic buildings on Taupo Quay. Photo: RNZ
