It may be days before flood-stricken Taieri Plain residents can return to their homes.
Last night, 143 homes remained evacuated - the majority on the Taieri - after the storm which battered eastern Otago at the weekend and brought more than 100mm of rain to much of the region.
Elsewhere, the extent of the devastation was revealed yesterday as access opened to areas earlier cut off by slips.
About 10 properties in Harington Point were affected by flooding and one was evacuated.
More than 25 slips had been discovered throughout the city, many along the Otago Peninsula.
Authorities began the task of assessing damage to properties and infrastructure.
Four unsafe building notices were issued because of slips.
The state of emergency was lifted at 9am yesterday and the recovery officially began.
Dozens of claims relating to damage in Otago and the lower South Island had been received by EQC, and insurers had received hundreds of claims by yesterday.
Power was also restored throughout the wider Dunedin area.
Despite the progress made, much work lay ahead, Dunedin City Council recovery manager Simon Pickford said.
"It's devastation,'' Mr Pickford said of the impact of the deluge. It's a significant event for the city and the Taieri, in particular,'' he said.
The priority was assessing the situation faced by residents who were evacuated, particularly on the Taieri Plain.
"At this stage, it will be several days before the area is dry enough for us to assess flooded properties, so residents in these areas will have to remain out of their homes for at least the next few days, possibly longer,'' he said.
"Extra staff will be available at the Mosgiel Library during the usual opening hours this week to let people affected by the flood know what support is available.''
Four dangerous building notices were issued by yesterday, and authorities conceded many more would follow as dozens of properties could have been damaged or compromised.
"If people are worried their home may be dangerous as a result of flooding/slips, we can arrange a building inspector to check this,'' he said.
Contractors were fixing roads and other infrastructure.
"We are asking people to be patient as we tackle all these issues,'' he said.
"We have to prioritise the work, which means some smaller repairs, like potholes, may take longer than usual due to the widespread flood damage,'' Mr Pickford said.
Three bridges were also damaged by floodwater - Sutton-Mount Ross, Mount Stoker and George King - and assessments would be carried out in the coming days. Detours were in place.
The health risk of floodwater remained and authorities were urging residents to treat all water as contaminated after reports of sewage and other debris affecting some areas.
Residents were also being asked not to swim or gather shellfish for consumption from Kaikorai Stream, the Water of Leith, Lindsay Creek, Silver Stream or the Otago Harbour until further notice because of untreated wastewater discharging into waterways during the storm, he said.
It would be some time before the extent and cost of flooding and slips were known.
Dunedin City Council general manager strategy and governance Sandy Graham said she had "initial discussions'' with the Insurance Council at the weekend, but details were not available at present.
"Until we have had an opportunity to get out in those areas to gauge what the damage was we won't have any further [information] than that,'' she said.
EQC general manager customer and claims Trish Keith said 50 claims related to the weekend's weather had been received from Otago residents and another 20 from elsewhere around New Zealand.
Otago customers were advised to prioritise their welfare over making contact with EQC, as residents had three months to lodge a land claim.
FMG chief underwriting and claims officer Nathan Barrett said the rural insurance specialist had received 15 claims from Otago farmers by yesterday.
"These relate mostly to water damage to farm buildings, house and contents and also vehicles,'' he said.
"It'll be some weeks before FMG get a more accurate picture on the number and type of claims ... as people need time to assess damage to their property and belongings.''
IAG had received 250 claims relating to the weekend's weather and 60 had been lodged with Vero.
The insurers could not say how many related to Otago.
"We expect to receive quite a few more claims to come in over the next 48 hours, as customers return to their homes or businesses,'' a Vero spokeswoman said.
"People's safety is the number one priority, but if customers have suffered damage we do encourage them to get in touch as soon as they can so we can do what we can to help.''
Mr Pickford asked for patience and calm.
"This recovery phase is critical,'' he said.
"We have to get this right. There will be frustration. People want to get back to their homes. They want to get back to their businesses. They want to get back to normal. That may take days.''
Flooding by numbers
• 143 homes remain evacuated.
• 42 road closures in effect.
• More than 25 slips on roads throughout Dunedin.
• Hundreds of claims already received by insurers and EQC.
• 4 dangerous building notices issued.
• For more information visit call Dunedin City Council on (03) 477-4000 or visit dunedin.govt.nz. Farmers needing assistance can contact the Rural Support Trust on 0800 78 72 54.
