Flooding Devastates Auckland, Leaving Three Dead and One Missing

Torrential rain in Auckland has brought widespread devastation, leaving three people dead and one missing. The city’s North Shore was particularly affected, with two bodies found in Wairau Valley – one in a culvert and another in a flooded car park. A third body was discovered later, after a landslide hit a house in the city centre.

As the region struggles to come to terms with the disaster, the new Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, visited the affected area with his Emergency Management Minister, Kieran McAnulty. Hipkins promised that government support would arrive in the coming days, warning of further bad weather and urging Aucklanders to avoid unnecessary travel and stay out of the water. “For now, the focus is on supporting Aucklanders through this,” he said.

Auckland has broken all its rainfall records, with 249mm of rain falling in just 24 hours, making it the city’s wettest day and month on record. The nation’s weather forecaster warned that while the heavy rain has eased, another period of downpours is possible on Sunday.

As the city begins the clean-up operation, residents have been urged to cut their water use to reduce wastewater levels, and to buy only the food they need while damage to supermarkets and food supply services is assessed. A state of emergency remains in place, with residents being warned to stay at home and contact emergency services only in life-threatening situations.

The flash flooding turned many of Auckland’s roads into rivers, causing widespread disruption and damage. The city’s airport was closed, with ankle-deep water in some terminals, and many businesses have been affected. Elton John’s concert was cancelled due to concerns for crowd safety, and Emergency services have been swamped by calls for help.

As the nation begins to recover from this devastating event, the full extent of the damage is still being assessed. With the clean-up effort likely to be a major job, the city’s residents are being urged to stay safe and await further support.