Milli Maxwell said yesterday it would be months before she and her four children, all aged under 12, would be able to return to their house after it was inundated on Monday.
Ms Maxwell was woken by their cat Billi at 3am to find the animal standing in 30cm of water, which she then realised was throughout the house.
The floors are to be pulled up and many of the internal walls will need to be replaced.
She has spent days throwing away water-damaged items, including much of her furniture. Her car was also flooded.
A state of emergency was declared in the Waitaki district at the start of the week as downpours forced 38 people and four dogs from their homes and roads were closed.
Persistent rain led to further evacuations after two separate landslips in the following days.
The state of emergency was lifted yesterday and the Waitaki District Council said it had entered a ‘‘recovery’’ phase.
Ms Maxwell told the Otago Daily Times she woke early on Monday to find freezing-cold floodwater rushing through the house.
‘‘It was quite strong — it lifted a 9kg gas bottle outside. It was pretty crazy.’’
The property had flooded several times before, but the water had never made it into the house or affected her car.
‘‘I just had no idea it could get so high.’’
As the floodwaters rose above electrical outlets inside the house, she turned them off and rang Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz).
But no matter how much they pumped they could not get rid of it all, she said.
‘‘We’re just the lowest-lying property and there’s nowhere for it to go.’’
Two pumps were left running for about two hours before Fenz staff had to leave for another job.
Her eldest child was the only one not in the house at the time, as he was staying with a friend.
The family’s pets — two cats, a puppy, goldfish, an axolotl, four chickens and two cockatiels — all emerged unscathed, though some of them were ‘‘probably a little bit traumatised’’.
She was staying with her father until she took over a rental property in about two weeks. The three younger children were at their father’s place and the oldest was staying with a friend.
‘‘The kids are OK. I’m doing all right.
‘‘I’m just really stressed ... just trying to take it day by day.’’
She was returning to her house each day to check a bilge pump she had since hired.
‘‘I’ve had that running since Wednesday — on and off because it hasn’t stopped raining.’’
An insurance assessor had suggested it would take ‘‘at least four months to do whatever they’ve got to do’’ and the family would need to be in temporary accomodation in the meantime, she said.
‘‘The house is freezing cold, real damp — the windows are crying.
‘‘It’s going to be a big job.’’
A Givealittle page had been set up by her friend and she was really appreciative of everyone who donated, Ms Maxwell said.
She was also feeling for the rest of the community.
‘‘I hope that everyone else that has been affected is all safe and they can carry on with things as normal eventually.’’
