Businesses and residents of Banks Peninsula are supporting each other as rain and winds swept through the region.
One Banks Peninsula café has temporarily close its doors for the "safety of staff and customers" after flooding from today's heavy rain caused damage.
A Local State of Emergency was declared for the Banks Peninsula by the Christchurch City Council this afternoon due to the impacts of the weather last night and this morning.
Follow 1News' live coverage of the latest weather developments here
The rain caused widespread flooding and power outages, leaving some properties cut off.
Among those affected by the weather was the Raspberry Café on Rhodes Rd.
Owner Bart Batth said he arrived to open this morning to find water was "everywhere".
“It’s best to close the café for today, because it’s for the safety of staff and customers.”
He said the inside of the café was not affected, but the garden and marquee areas were.
“I think everything has just vanished with the water."
Batth said it was “pretty sad” to see the damage caused by the weather.
“It’s supposed to be summer. We didn’t expect these kinds of things, especially in February.
“We just can’t really do much."
Little River resident Karen Fossey said it felt like flooding came to the region “every time it rains”.
“A lot are used to it, a lot of heartbreak with the café and the shops down the road.
“But I think most people are safe.
“We’ve been flooded once before, had a lot of heartbreak but, hopefully, all of the infrastructure is going to hold, and we’re going to be fine this time.”
She said the community had been “out in force” to help each other.
Residents Kaitlin Newton and Paytin McLeod were unable to get to work this morning because flooding had cut off their property.
Newton said the Little River area was “getting hit severely by this water”.
"There’s going to be a lot of work to do,” McLeod said.
Newton replied: “Big clean up job in Little River.”
Like Fossey, Newton said it was "really cool" to see the community work together.
“It’s an amazing community, everyone’s looking out for each other and checking in."
The Banks Peninsula was under an orange heavy rain warning on Tuesday, with as much as 280mm falling in the region within 36 hours, according to MetService.
State Highway 75 – the main access in and out of Banks Peninsula between Gebbies Pass Rd and Akaroa – was closed due to flooding, leaving communities cut off from the rest of Canterbury.
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