Relief as many Gore residents given okay to return home

Wednesday, 5 February 2020

The Inglis family unpacking their car after returning to their Salford St home in Gore. From left, Noah, 4, Matthew, Elijah, 2, Savanna, 10, and Nicole.

Jillian Macgregor says it is a huge relief to be home.

Many Gore residents that had been evacuated on Tuesday night and Wednesday were given permission to return home at 6pm on Wednesday.

Jillian Macgregor of East Gore is very relieved after the announcement she could move back into her home on Wednesday evening.

Macgregor and husband Wayne were two of the East Gore residents who had to leave their house on Tuesday night as the Mataura River steadily rose and there were fears the flood banks could burst.

Like many, the couple had to move elsewhere, and the Macgregors stayed with their son Jonathan Dennis who lived on higher ground.

Damian Vincent checks on the industrial water pump which is emptying out his and neighbouring sections at Salford St in Gore.

Mike and Lorraine Marston with their dog Radar, and neighbouring children Chloe Taylor, 14, and Shanae Taylor, 7, at their five acre Salford St property in Gore which is mostly under water.

* Flooding hits Southland town amid fears worse to come**

'I'm so happy to go home and everyone is safe. It's a huge relief,' she said.

The Macgregors spent five hours on Tuesday afternoon pumping water out of their backyard.

'We gave up in the end,' she said.

Macgregor was hopeful there was no permanent damage as she prepared to head back into her house.

Many East Gore residents were told between 8pm and 9pm on Tuesday they needed to leave.

Macgregor was shocked at the volume of traffic trying to get over the bridge into Gore's main street, given they had been told they had just 20 minutes to get over the bridge before the it would be shut.

'It was terrifying, [they're] so many rushing to get [on the] bridge,' she said.

Calvin Community Church lead minister Ken Williams had been looking after many of the evacuated Gore residents at his church.

When the news broke on Wednesday evening that residents were allowed to return to their homes Williams said it was greeted with applause.

'It is really positive around here now.'

While many residents have been given the okay to return home, some houses in certain areas remain cordlned off because of water levels around their homes.

There were fears early on Wednesday that the flood banks at the end of Salford St could burst but residents on the street were pleased the flood banks had handled the pressure.

Mike and Lorraine Marston have a five arce property at the end of the Salford St.

Much of the property, where the flood bank stopped, was still under water when they were given the okay to return on Wednesday night.

However their house and garage, which had been sand-bagged, remained dry.

Mike did not get any sleep on Tuesday night as he kept an eye on the property and their house as the water level climbed.

When they were eventually evacuated early on Wednesday morning Mike said he was not concerned about the house, however he was worried about two rams that were on the property.

When Marston left the water level was up to the rams' necks and he had no way to get to them. However when he returned on Wednesday evening he was delighted to find they had reached one small bit of high ground and had survived.

Damian and Wendy Vincent got married in the backyard of their Salford St property three weeks ago.

On Wednesday they had pumped 12 inches of water out from around their property as the flood waters reached their home.

After having a brief look inside the house on Wednesday evening they were optimistic there had not been too much damage and they were hopeful they could stay there on Wednesday night.

'There wasn't much sleep going on [on Tuesday night],' Damian said.

Fellow Salford St residents, Matthew and Nicole Inglis, and their four kids, were worried that if they were not able to return on Wednesday night they would have needed to sleep in their two cars.

'It's great to be home,' Matthew said.

'I've been wanted to come home all day,' Nicole said.