Heavy rain in Otago in the past two days has resulted in
several of the hydro-electric dams spilling excess water from
holding lakes, but Environment Canterbury last night had no
concerns flood protection stopbanks would not cope.
Flood hazard ratepayers on the Water of Leith and Lindsay
Creek may find out in the New Year how much works to upgrade
their protection will cost and when it will happen.
The memories of August's disastrous flooding in
Pakistan remain fresh for Gibbston Valley-born Alastair
"Cookie" Cook, as he tells Miranda Spary in a series of
recent emails ...
There is little justice attendant upon the victims of natural
disaster; just as the occurrence of catastrophe is largely
unpredictable, so too is the public response.
The floods tearing through Pakistan's breadbasket have
further weakened this already unstable country, inflicting
more economic pain on its people and threatening a key pillar
of the US-led war against Islamist militants - who stand to
gain from the misery.
The water came in the morning, quietly sweeping across the
rice paddies and into the village. Within hours, it was as
high as a man's shoulder and Abdul Nabi had lost his harvest,
his mud home and all 10 of his buffalo.
Victims of Pakistan's deadly floods mobbed relief trucks
carrying food on Tuesday and authorities in the northwest
warned of famine unless the region's farmers got immediate
help with planting new crops.
The United Nations appealed for nearly $US460 million on
Wednesday to provide immediate help to millions of victims of
the worst floods in Pakistan in living memory and said it
will need millions more to help rebuild the devastated
country.
