Civil Defence says the effects of heavy rainfall on the West Coast have not been as severe as feared.
Evacuated residents have been told they can return home after an uncertain night, which saw a king tide coincide with 48 hours of heavy rain.
People returning home are asked to be careful on the road, and using power and gas.
RNZ's reporter at the scene said the Buller River is still up, but flooding in Westport has reduced greatly.
Yesterday, 651 people were evacuated from their homes in Westport and dozens of evacuees have spent the night out of their homes.
They included 15 people airlifted from a rural property near Westport, about 100 people who went to the Holcim evacuation centre on Cape Foulwind, and 10 people who decided to go to the Seddonville campground evacuation centre.
Buller Emergency Management says are all able to return home today.
Police have been monitoring evacuated properties and have increased their presence in Westport.
Flooding has closed State Highway 67 from Waimangaroa to Granity and SH67 is also closed from Westport to Mokihinui.
A slip has closed SH6 from Inangahua to Westport and from Fox Glacier to Haast.
SH6 is also closed in Marlborough by flooding between Hira and Rai Valley.
MetService's rain radar this morning shows little rain falling on Westland and the West Coast with the heaviest falls now over the lower North Island, with some over the top of the South Island.
The Defence Force has 25 soldiers in Westport, along with a field kitchen and a team of caterers that was deployed to supply food for the community at the Holcim evacuation centre.
Liaison Officer Ryan Dunlop said they are assisting Civil Defence and responding to the needs of the community.
The Buller District Mayor has applauded residents' response to flooding in the region.
Jamie Cleine told Lately many people in Buller evacuated their homes voluntarily.
He said when police door knocked yesterday asking them to evacuate, almost two thirds of people had already left their homes.
Cleine said this level of responsiveness has meant only small numbers of people have ended up in their welfare centres.
He said there has been a lot of anxiety about this event but it was very well forecast.
Cleine said most of those who were asked to evacuate were people whose houses were affected by the flood in July.
RNZ
