Rochester SES controller Tim Williams said the expected situation would leave 250 houses with water above floor level.
However, he said he didn’t know how many houses would be impacted by a worst-case flood, however unlikely.
“We haven’t had one that big,” he said.
“In 2011 there were 700 houses which had water through them, and this time it’s predicted there could be 100mm more and there could be more than 1000 (houses impacted) as the worst case scenario.”
He said the extra 100mm from 2011 could lead to an extra 300 houses, but as far as he knew estimates hadn’t changed since Wednesday night.
Mr Williams said 11,000 sandbags were filled in Rochester on Wednesday and another 10,000 were filled at Moon Oval on Thursday.
Another 7000 sandbags were filled at the Rochester swimming pool site as of 3pm on Thursday, with more being filled and another 5000 sandbags being trucked into town on Thursday night.
“When it’s done tonight it’s done,” he said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, all three of Rochester’s schools will be closed on Friday.
Rochester College, St Joseph’s Primary School and Rochester Primary School will shut on Friday and will reopen on Monday at this stage, although the Department of Education will reassess that over the weekend.
St Joseph’s only had 50 students at school on Thursday, with 80 absent.
Principal Liz Trewick said the school was being sandbagged and they had lifted everything up two drawers high off the ground.
“It’s an eerie feeling now,” she said.
“We’ve done the sandbagging. Now it’s where it’s going to hit and what it’s going to do.”
Forty people were on hand to help sandbag the school on Thursday.
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