Flash floods terrify Feilding resident who is left homeless

A scorching but brief downpour that caused a flash flood in Feilding has left several residents with lingering grief.

Glasgow Terrace resident Alicia Field was watching TV in her living room at 8.30pm on Monday when suddenly she heard nothing beyond the hailstorm thundering outside.

“As thunder and lightning exploded above us, a rattling sound came from downstairs. I ran downstairs.

“As soon as I opened the door to my downstairs, everything was floating in the water – my fridge, my washing machine, my bedroom furniture, my bikes, my dressing table and my Christmas decorations. ground floor was at least two feet in black water.

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Tears stream down her face as she recounts her fear.

“We had no power. We were screaming for help, but there was no one to help us.

“We had no way out of the house. Luckily my partner arrived in time.

It probably wouldn’t have been so heartbreaking if it was the first time it had happened.

Just six months ago, she was making an insurance claim for damages worth $60,000 to the ground floor of the house after it was submerged in a similar flash flood.

“Now I can’t sleep when it rains.”

“After the floods in December, we received a letter from council suggesting we buy sandbags.”

Field wasn’t the only resident affected. A council spokesman said 14 properties were affected by floodwaters on Monday.

The three-bedroom house of Lesley Radovanovich, 76, has been repaired after it was damaged by flash flooding in December.

After staying at an Airbnb for about six months, the Geisen Rd resident finally returned home on June 10, only to find herself homeless again.

“Just four days after moving into my house, I am homeless again. I have slept in eight beds over the past six months.

Her insurance would cover the damage, but it would not compensate for the anxiety and stress caused by the floods, she said.

Monday was also the third time resident Chris Pirret, 67, had seen water gushing into his room while it was raining.

Her home was flooded in 2014 when a municipal culvert near her property failed to handle increased stormwater.

The houses of Pirret and Field were located next to the culvert, which was intended to protect the houses from storm water.

However, the culvert was not large enough to support the influx of water.

They blamed the council for having an ineffective stormwater system and failing to warn of these extreme weather events.

A council spokesman said Feilding’s stormwater system was not designed to cope with the 1 in 50 or 1 in 100 floods that became common in the district.

“The upgrade of our stormwater system is currently under study and will be considered as part of our next ten-year plan 2024/34.

“A project of this scale will not be completed quickly and requires significant investment.

The council had provided updates via social media, but was also considering emailing and texting residents.

In response to the Glasgow Terrace issues, they said: ‘The improvements require the potential purchase of land and the construction of a check dam upstream of the affected properties, combined with a combination of resizing pipes to address future issues. of flooding.

“These proposed projects are unbudgeted and will be considered when developing the draft 2024/34 long-term plan.”

The rain died down on Tuesday, but affected homeowners had to clean up and make other accommodation arrangements.