We may have a better idea after May 12 of what the Christchurch City Council plans to do about the flooding in the Flockton Basin (and other flood-prone areas of the city).
The options under consideration seem to have grown and include:
- Deepening and widening Dudley Creek
- More pumps and pipes
- Raising floor levels/homes in affected houses
- Wrapping the bottom part of flood-prone houses in flood resistant materials
- Flood barriers (and whatever became of that dam idea proposed after September 4 as a way of limiting the impact of liquefaction?)
- Relocation
- A red zone is unlikely. The Council does not want to see a broad brush, compulsory exclusion of homeowners from an area, but would prefer something with a range of appropriate options
It’s a moot point. Many people in streets like Carrick Street have moved out. This follows the fifth major flood since the earthquakes. Streets have been closed to traffic and carpets soaked again.
Soggy city: Christchurch has had the wettest autumn months on record since the city started keeping weather data in 1864; with the most recent flood it is expected to be four times the previous record. This has been caused by the remnants of tropical storms and slow moving lows. Repeated flooding is possible because of lowering of the basin following the earthquakes and temporary works have not been sufficient to cope with the amount of water.
Source: partially based on this newspaper report
