News
State of Emergency Declared Across Southland By Minister
This is an official message from Emergency Management Southland Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery, Mark Mitchell, has today declared a local state of emergency for the Southland region to assist in the recovery to the severe wind event. This follows advice from local Emergency Management Southland controllers and officials
Mike Sanford
Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council, and PowerNet teams have been working through the night to restore power and reopen roads after the destructive winds that swept through the region on Thursday.
Invercargill City Council said roading teams and contractors were “working as hard and fast as possible” to reopen access safely.
Overnight Outages and Damage After Fierce Winds Lash Southland
Word About Town Bargain Chemist Coming, Hunting & Fishing RelocatingOvernight Outages and Damage After Fierce Winds Lash SouthlandWord About Town Bargain Chemist Coming, Hunting & Fishing RelocatingAfter years of speculation over whether Aussie chain Chemist Warehouse or New Zealand’s own Bargain Chemist would move into the old Farmers building on Dee
Mike Sanford
“It’s essential you do not approach damaged power lines. Stay well away. If there is immediate danger, call 111,” the council said in a statement.
“Please be patient with our teams — they’re working as hard and fast as possible.”
🚧 Roads and Services
As of 9am, the following roads remain closed or partially closed:
- Elles Rd between Tay St and Tweed St (closed)
- Queens Dr down to one lane between Herbert St and Rugby Park — avoid if possible
- Inglewood Rd at Otepuni Ave and west, and part of Eldon
- Nith St at Appleby Park (fallen trees)
- Mason Rd at Mill Rd South
- North Rd / Bainfield Rd
- Tiwai Rd (limited access)
- Ness St / Balmoral Dr (tree down on Ness St)
- Humber St between Avon and Frome St (powerlines down)
- Cushen St between Avon and Frome St (powerlines down)
- All parks remain closed.
- Bus services are back to normal, though some delays are possible due to road closures or debris.
- Friday’s bin collections are going ahead as normal.
- The Bluff Transfer Station is open, while the Invercargill Transfer Station remains closed due to fallen trees.
- Splash Palace also remains closed until further notice.
If you spot damage, contact Invercargill City Council on (03) 211 1777.
💧 Southland District Council Update
Residents in Tuatapere, Ohai, and Mossburn are currently without drinking water after their water treatment plants went offline during the storm.
Southland District Council is urging residents to check its website for updates: southlanddc.govt.nz
The following roads are closed or impassable (please be aware there is no signage):
- Muirhead Road
- Longwood Road
- Otautau Nightcaps Road, at Hundred Line Road West
- Wyndham Valley Road
- Access from SH1 Edendale roundabout to North Road
- Tyneholm Road
- Braggs Bay Road – Stewart Island
- Irving Road Rakahouka
- Wyndham Station Road
- Matheson Road
- Drummond Heddon Bush Road by Shaws Trees Road
- Limehills Browns Road, near Ballantyne and Henderson Road
- Endowment Road
- Otautau Wreys Bush
- Limehills Browns Road near Forrester Road signs up but passable
- Ballentyne Road signs up and passable but lines are down
⚡ PowerNet Update
PowerNet Chief Executive Paul Blue said the company’s crews were working to assess and repair damage across Southland and Otago.
“Our staff here on the ground have told me that this is the most destructive weather event some have seen in their careers in the power industry,” Mr Blue said.
“Our priority today is to assess the extent of damage and to make it safe, followed by making repairs to parts of our network that supply power to lifeline utilities like water, wastewater, and health facilities.”
Helicopter flights are being arranged to carry out aerial assessments to determine the full extent of damage. PowerNet teams managed to restore electricity to some small communities and rest homes overnight.
“At this stage, we are asking people not to call us to let us know their power is out, or to ask for when their power will be restored,” Mr Blue said. “Please only call PowerNet if you find a broken pole, downed lines, or trees across lines.”
For realtime power outages go here
Residents are reminded:
- Do not approach damaged equipment or fallen lines.
- Call 111 if there is an emergency or threat to life.
- Report damage to PowerNet on 0800 808 587.
“The reality of our situation is only coming to light this morning, and it will take us time to understand the full extent of the damage,” Mr Blue added. “We cannot provide estimates of when power will be restored yet.”
He warned that power may be intermittent in some areas:
“It’s also possible that power could come back on, only to go out again.”
Further updates will be provided throughout the day as assessment and restoration work continues.
So
Southland and Invercargill weather eventsKen Cooper says there were 228 callouts in the district between 11.55am and 5pm.He says 155 of those were in Invercargill."
Again, this is for things like roofs lifting, trees down, power lines down, garage doors, fences and sheds blowing away."The rain has stopped, and the wind has eased, so now crews will now be looking to assist with clean up across the region."Ken Cooper says those in storm affected areas should follow safety advice from local authorities.
"During and after a storm treat all fallen power lines as live."If the power is out use torches rather than candles if possible. If you must use candles, keep them away from curtains and other flammable objects. Never leave a candle burning in an empty room."If you are using camp cookers or alternative forms of heating, always make sure they are on a stable surface. Do not use outdoor cooking or heating equipment inside."