Video: Heavy flooding in New Zealand
The story: In New Zealand, hundreds of people had to be brought to safety from severe flooding. More than 230 homes have been evacuated in the city of Nelson, in the South Island alone. Previously, precipitation within 15 hours was more than usual for the month. The floods also caused landslides. Authorities declared a state of emergency in a total of three areas of the South Island. “I was at work and my wife called me, I filmed the whole thing coming down the hill. I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s so amazing. And it all happened within a few minutes.” Important road links were cut off due to fallen trees. Public facilities are closed. Rescue workers and soldiers have been deployed. “Oh, it’s heartbreaking. It’s going through the whole house and I’m getting mud everywhere, I think the car is pretty much written off. There’s mud in the bathtub.” Storms and heavy rains also hit the North Island. Three people were injured after a tree fell on a highway. There was no de-escalation in sight at the moment. Authorities warned of more torrential rain.