Monday’s downpour caused the roof of a Masterton dairy and liquor store to collapse.
Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Masterton weather station recorded 14mm of rainfall in 20 minutes from 3.57pm to 4.19pm on Monday.
Rain leaked into Hospital Food Market, and Thirsty Liquor Masterton before the weight of the water collapsed the V-shaped roof.
Store owner Raj Patel said the deluge was the worst he had ever seen.
“It got chock-a-block full of water, just like a river,” Patel said.
He said the short downpour quickly flooded Te Ore Ore Rd gutters before it dripped through the store’s ceiling.
“When the rain picked up, the ceiling started to drip, and then it got too heavy too quick,” Patel said.
The flooding damaged shelves, lights, a computer, and stock, which he estimated
to be worth close to $10,000.
A group of friends and family helped Patel clean up the mess until the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Builder Luke Wilson from LW and Co Building said because the internal gutter is too small, the roof will need to be rebuilt, costing up to $30,000.
