Hundreds of Mid Canterbury residents have spent another night next to their packed bags, ready for evacuations at any second.
While the rain has eased, rivers are continuing to drain a three-day deluge, swathes of farmland is still submerged and roads remain closed across the region.
Ashburton remains cut off to the north and the south - with 19 roads either submerged or badly damaged - and overnight about 20 stranded travellers camped out at the Hakatere Marae.
Civil Defence and Emergency Management operational readiness coordinator Andrew Howe has been on the night shift.
