Flood Crisis in Oamaru | Christchurch News

Christchurch News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 6, 2026 · 1m

Oamaru’s been hit with catastrophic flooding—homes underwater, streets turned into rivers—as residents like Raylene Mulligan, trapped with her two nephews (one blind, one in a wheelchair) inside her sister’s flooded home, plead for earlier action. The council’s delayed state of emergency left many scrambling before official warnings, fueling anger and anxiety. Meanwhile, Sonya Rigg rescued her four grandchildren from her son’s submerged home but struggled to return, criticizing the timing of the emergency declaration. As the community braces for recovery, questions loom over response speed…