Flood-ravaged Auckland is expected to receive more heavy rain over the coming days, according to the city’s council, even as people start to count the cost of the flash floods that have hit New Zealand’s largest city since Friday.
Key points:
- A heavy rain warning has been issued for Auckland, with more flooding and landslides expected
- Hundreds of people are in need of emergency accommodation
- Four people have been killed
Four people have now lost their lives and millions of dollars of damage has occurred. A state of emergency remains in place in Auckland and further south in regional Waitomo.
“There has been very significant damage across Auckland,” New Zealand’s new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told TVNZ.
“I had the opportunity to view that first-hand on Saturday and obviously [there were] a number of homes damaged by flooding but also extensive earth movements,” he said.
He said at the moment, 350 people were in need of emergency accommodation.
40 per cent of annual rain total has fallen already
Auckland has experienced record levels of rainfall since Friday. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said in a tweet that the city recorded more than eight times its average January rainfall and 40 per cent of its annual average rainfall.
The Metservice weather bureau issued an updated Heavy Rain Warning for Auckland and Great Barrier Island for the 12 hours from 5pm on Tuesday. It said between 80mm and 120mm of rain could fall.
Auckland Council warned that further flooding and landslides were expected.
Emergency services received 30 call-outs in the previous 12 hours, including responding to a landslide when a carport slid down a hill. Auckland city council has deemed 40 houses uninhabitable and prevented people from entering them. Yellow stickers – meaning people can only enter certain areas and for short periods – have been applied to a further 151 properties.
Insurance Australia Group’s New Zealand divisions have received over 5,000 claims so far and Suncorp Group said it received around 3,000 claims across the Vero and AA Insurance brands.
“The number of claims is expected to rise further over the coming days, with the event still unfolding and as customers identify damage to their property,” IAG said in a statement.
Reuters