Auckland Residents Face Dark Night Amid Devastating Floods and Chaos

As the rain continued to pour down on Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, a state of emergency was declared, bringing widespread flooding and chaos to the city of 1.5 million residents. The deluge blocked motorways, flooded roads and neighborhoods, forced the closure of the city’s airport, and prompted the cancellation of a scheduled concert by Elton John, leaving many concert-goers stranded.

Residents in the worst-affected areas were asked to evacuate, with emergency services overwhelmed by calls and asking people to only call 111 if they were in a life-threatening emergency. Videos on social media showed firefighters, police, and defense forces rescuing stranded people from flooded homes using ropes and rescue boats.

A body was found on the city’s north shore, although police did not confirm whether the person had died as a result of the flooding. Mayor Wayne Brown said he had received reports that someone had lost their life during the event, adding that “this is going to be a horrible night for thousands of Aucklanders and their families.”

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said that all relevant government agencies were working flat out to help in the extraordinary set of circumstances, with the emergency response underway and the government ready to assist as needed. National Civil Defense Minister Kieran McAnulty urged people to follow the advice of authorities and check Auckland Emergency Management for the latest information.

The city’s international airport closed, with flights diverted, as videos emerged of extensive flooding inside the terminals. Major roads were also blocked by the floods, causing long traffic queues on highways. Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni visited an evacuation center set up at St Leonard’s School in the suburb of Kelston, describing the flooding as “significant” in parts of the city.

Auckland Emergency Management advised residents in flood-prone areas to prepare to evacuate, with northern, north-western, and western parts of the city being affected by significant flooding. The agency’s advice came as conditions were expected to worsen. Elton John’s concert, which was expected to be attended by about 40,000 people, was cancelled at the last minute after concert-goers had gathered in the stadium. The cancellation caused traffic chaos, with concert-goers struggling to get home.