Fire and Emergency was alerted to 93 weather related 111 calls in Auckland this morning between 6am and 8.30am as result of heavy downpours, after a fairly uneventful night.
Response coordinator district manager Geoff Purcell says fire crews responded to incidents involving mostly slips and flooding and falling trees affecting homes and commercial properties as well as Auckland’s roads and motorways.
“Our communications centre put our Multiple Incident Procedure in place and we prioritised calls to properties with people in vulnerable circumstances, such as the elderly.
“Crews carried out three weather related rescues during this time. These included a tree down on a house, assisting people to evacuate a flooded house, and a person out of a car in flood waters,” he says.
Four crews also attended a well involved house fire in Papatoetoe at 7.23am. That fire is now out and a fire investigator is at the scene.
Geoff Purcell says Fire and Emergency is continuing to support Auckland Emergency Management in the recovery from last Friday’s event.
“Mostly that involves our USAR teams continuing the Rapid Damage Assessments of properties that were flooded or affected by slips,” he says.
Fire and Emergency will be ready to respond to forecast bad weather moving south to Bay of Plenty and Waikato later today.
Auckland Emergency Management says Auckland is experiencing widespread heavy rain this morning.
Overnight, we’ve experienced widespread heavy rain across the region in the early hours of this morning and high winds overnight.
The weather system is sitting slightly further south than forecast, with a heavy band of rain currently passing over North Shore and the central city out across the West. This appears to be heading south.
- This morning has caused surface flooding which is impacting road networks heading into the city.
- We’re expecting a more detailed forecast from MetService a bit later this morning.
- If you need urgent flood assistance or need to report flooding in your area phone us on 0800 22 22 00.
- Act immediately is you see rising flood water, do not wait for official warnings. If you do need to evacuate, take care and bring essential items with you. Evacuation centres are open in Wellsford, Warkworth, Kumeu, Kelston, Albany, Randwick Park and Mangere.
- We’ve had low numbers through the new evacuation centre sites (Wellsford, Warkworth and Kumeu) overnight and are checking in with the other sites around the region again now.
- Fire and Emergency have responded to 53 weather-related calls this morning. Two of these were flooding of habitable floors and was a tree fallen across a house.
- This is an emerging situation, and as becomes light we can assess the full extent of the impacts.
Auckland Transport’s advice for people travelling on Wednesday
- Auckland Transport is responding to multiple flood events across the network.
- We’ve just had reports of the Awhitu Peninsula is cut off due to multiple slips. We’re following up with Auckland Transport for more information.
- Consider staying home or travelling later in the day once the heaviest periods of rain have passed.
- Do not walk, drive or cycle through floodwater because it can pose a series risk to your health and safety.
Plan ahead before you leave – check the AT Mobile app or website for public transport information and www.at.govt.nz/weatherwatch for the latest information about road closures
New road closures as at 7.30am – this is in addition to closures available on the AT website
- Coatesville Riverhead Highway between Ridge Road and Wake Road
- Tamaki Drive
- South Eastern Arterial – Carbine to Motorway (SEART)
- Scenic Drive now has 4 slips
- Te Henga Road – Detour through Bethells Road
- Woodbay Road – at 110 due to a slip
- Fred Thomas Drive
- Wairau Road is open but there is a watch in place
Roads to avoid
- SH1 Northcote – only two lanes operating each way.
- Flooding at SH20 around Onehunga and SH1 at Greenlane. One lane closed Southbound.
Trains
- No train services on the Western Line – three train units are currently stuck due to flooding and slips. No passengers are on board
- Eastern Line – services operating Manukau to Otahuhu in both directions
- Southern Line – running Papakura to Panmure in both directions. There is flooding between Orakei and Glenn Innes.
Buses
- Northern Busway closed between Akoranga Station and Smales Farm Station.
Remember when travelling
- Avoid unnecessary travel. Check road conditions if you do have to travel
- Floods and flash floods can happen quickly. Act immediately if you see rising water – do not wait for official warnings. Head for higher ground and stay away from flood water
- Check www.aem.org.nz for updates and information. Listen to emergency services and self-evacuate if you feel unsafe
- If life is in danger, call 111 immediately.
Additional Civil Defence Centres
- West: St Leonards Road School, 15 St Leonards Road, Kelston
- North: Massey University Albany Campus, Sir Neil Walters Lecture Theatre, Massey University East Precinct, Albany Expressway SH17
- South: Mana Tukutuku, 32 Riverton Drive, Randwick Park
- South: Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Pool and Leisure Centre in Mascot Ave, Mangere.
Three more Civil Defence Centres opened yesterday, ahead of the forecast severe weather.
They are located at:
- Warkworth Town Hall, 2 Alnwick Street – operated by NZ Defence Force
- Wellsford Community Centre, 1 Matheson Road – operated by Red Cross
- Kumeu Community Centre, 35 Access Road – operated by Auckland Council Park Rangers
Bring with you any essential items you may need, eg. medication, special food.
Community and Information Centres
From midday today, we will have four additional community and information centres open, alongside the Māngere centre. The centres will be staffed by government welfare and support services and will operate from 9am to 5pm daily until further notice.
The four additional centres are located at:
- Te Manawa, Westgate – 11 Kohuhu Lane
- New Lynn Community Centre – 45 Totara Avenue, New Lynn
- Fickling Convention Centre – 546 Mount Albert Road, Three Kings
- Birkenhead Leisure Centre – 46 Mahara Avenue, Birkenhead
Waste collection
- As you are aware we have worked with private sector partner operators to make available eight facilities for disposal of storm/flood damaged material for free for residents that are unable to cover the cost of disposal. We now have 9 facilities across the region that Aucklanders can access. Working on adding more facilities.
- 240 people are already booked to go to the disposal facilities. Number of customers and tonnage received from different facilities is yet to come.
- Over 230 customers have been to Waitakere Transfer Station, receiving over 100 tonnes to date.
- Skip bins have been delivered to areas of communal need and a waste management plan is being developed and operationalised to address contaminated household waste.
- NZDF and Task Force Green are assisting Solid Waste teams at skip bin sites across the region.
Water supply
- There has been a significant impact on operations due to last night’s rain. Additional staff and contractors were rostered on through the night and are available today.
- Tap water remains safe to drink.
- Water reservoirs were filled across Auckland last night, anticipating heavy rainfall.
- Strong progress to resolve the water supply issues in Titirangi and Glen Eden. Customers in affected areas were surveyed last night and may be re-surveyed to understand how their situation has changed.
- 10 wastewater pump stations were electrically damaged on Friday. All pump stations are running. Wairau is running at a reduced capacity, so some wastewater is still overflowing into the local waterway.
- All 18 wastewater treatment plants are operational.
