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Roads are under water around the Christchurch suburb of Beckenham, but residents are hopeful their homes have not been inundated.
Waimea Terrace resident Jack Gunn said the whole stretch of road in front of his riverside home was flooded, but the water had not made it up the driveway.
The house was slightly raised so, even if water went underneath, they did not expect floodwater to enter the house, he said.
His family took precautions before leaving home earlier today, Gunn said.
"We have a sleepout at the back of the section, so we moved everything out of there and up on to shelves, and we moved all the cars out on to the street," he said.
He plans to spend the night at his girlfriend's house, just to be safe.
The Ōpāwaho/Heathcote River in Beckenham has risen significantly since this morning.
There are at least a dozen houses surrounded by the flood waters, with Eastern Terrace completely submerged in many places. Photo: RNZ / Marika Hill
Flooding in Eastern Terrace, Beckenham. Photo: RNZ/Marika Hill
Eastern Terrace, Beckenham. Photo: RNZ/Marika Hill
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