Westland flooding and State Highway 6 closure

The story so far

Heavy rain in early November 2024 caused flooding, slips and road closures in Westland, and police urged people in southern Westland to avoid travel ahead of a high tide.^{8 Nov 2024} A state of emergency was declared for the Westland District after 350mm of rain fell within 24 hours, bringing landslips, road closures and evacuations.^{9 Nov 2024} Officials assessed damage across the West Coast, including record rainfall in Franz Josef, and the state of emergency for the Southern ward of Westland later ended.^{10 Nov 2024} State Highway 6 was partially closed between Haast and Knights Point after rockfalls, and crews then worked to remove rock and stabilise the road between Haast and Lake Moeraki.^{11, 13 Nov 2024} Haast businesses and tourist operators reported losing income while the closure continued.^{11, 18 Nov 2024}

Latest

NZTA said crews were removing loose rocks from the road.^{18 Nov 2024}

What's next

NZTA expects the road to reopen in the coming days.^{18 Nov 2024}

Key moments

1. 8 Nov 2024Police advise avoiding southern Westland travel as high tide approaches.
2. 9 Nov 2024State of emergency declared for Westland District after 350mm of rain.
3. 10 Nov 2024State of emergency ends for Westland's Southern ward; damage assessments begin.
4. 11 Nov 2024State Highway 6 partially closed between Haast and Knights Point after rockfalls.
5. 13 Nov 2024Crews work to remove rockfall and stabilise State Highway 6.
6. 18 Nov 2024Haast to Lake Moeraki highway closure enters second week.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.