On October 23, severe weather hit the region, felling trees, damaging properties and leaving thousands without power.
In a report for an upcoming meeting, the council estimated the cost so far was more than $2.39 million — a figure which was expected to change in the coming weeks.
Parks and reserves topped the spending at $930,538, followed by $623,304 for elderly housing and $298,308 for roading.
On the other end of the spectrum was a bill of $500 for car paintwork repair and $215 for an aerial replacement at the cemetery.
Council chief executive Michael Day said the cleanup would take weeks at least.
He commended the efforts of council staff.
"They put in a huge effort and we really appreciated the support, encouragement and patience the people of Invercargill and Bluff have shown as we worked to get things back to normal," he said.
The council report said insurance assessors were inspecting assets, which allowed staff to get quotes for repairs.
It also noted that costs did not include replanting trees. The council did not budget for emergency events.
Southland remained in a state of emergency for two weeks following the storm until November 7.
Linemen worked long hours to restore the electricity supply.
More than 10,000 properties were initially without power.
Council staff contributed 525 hours of work to Emergency Management Southland over a 15-day period, the report showed.
• LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
