A flash flood triggered by record rainfall has caused severe damage in the rural Motueka Valley settlement of Ngātīmoti, marking the second major flood in two weeks.
The deluge, believed to be caused by a dam of water trapped behind forestry slash upstream, released thousands of tonnes of logs, silt, and soil into the area, carving a wide path through properties and leaving behind extensive debris.
A local creek overflowed with such force that it gouged out land and left a trail of destruction estimated to stretch hundreds of metres.
Residents say the slash originated from a forestry block about two kilometres upstream.
The forestry company involved has acknowledged the damage, though its representatives were reportedly stunned by the extent of the collapse.
Representatives were shocked and speechless.
About their own stupidity? No.
About the damage done? No.
About their ruthlessness of land use? Maybe.
About their pretension to not know about forestry slash? Certainly not.
The experts and their handlers don’t give a damn and the dams they do give can never be flood proof.
💯
It is like nothing like this has ever happened before