A Henley resident says he fled his flooded home with nothing but a spare toothbrush and underwear.
Allan Innes was rescued by helicopter from his house about 10.30am on Saturday.
"At 7am I looked out and I thought we were fine, then at 8am I started stacking furniture and I managed to get a lot of valuables raised."
His dog had been left with some food and water on a neighbour's porch which was well off the ground, he said.
Mr Innes was staying at a friend's house in Mosgiel, and said he did not know what his house would be like when he finally returned.
"I am gutted. The work it's going to take to get the house back in a liveable condition is huge."
He had lived in Henley since 1988 and had never seen anything like this flood.
"I've seen some close ones - but nothing has ever been as bad as this."
Also in Henley, Gabrielle Mathieson was trying to escape one state of emergency for another.
She was also helicoptered out with her mother from Henley to Dunedin about 11am.
"I'm trying to get home to Christchurch and I'm going to try catch a flight at 3pm."
She did not know if her home in Christchurch, which had also been drenched by floods, was okay.
"I'm feeling quite shaken up, uneasy and a bit emotional, you could say."
