Severe rainfall causes flooding in Auckland, around 60 homes evacuated
Aucklanders are being forced to evacuate their homes after severe rainfall overnight caused localised flooding.
Around 50 to 60 homes have been evacuated and an emergency shelter has been set up at 6 Henderson Valley Road.
West Auckland has been hit the worst with flooding in Helensville, Kumeu, Henderson Valley and Rānui.
Firefighters received around 170 weather related calls overnight.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said evacuation advice overrides Covid-19 restrictions.
Auckland’s two vaccination centres at the Trusts Arena and the Airport have been damaged and will not open until 11am.
SH16 through Kumeu is closed due to flooding between Matua Road and Riverhead Road, and Waka Kotahi has reports of fallen trees and slips across the wider network.
MetService said heavy rain is expected to continue throughout Tuesday.
Neighbourly spokesperson Sarah Moore encourages people to check in on their neighbours - especially if they’re elderly or alone.
“But ensure you're abiding by Level 4 rules consider emailing, texting or using Neighbourly to send a message. Even if they're doing well, the connection will mean a lot,” she said.
“When there's a break in the weather carefully head outside to check whether anything is blocking your drains or has come loose in a storm. Don't rush - things could be slippery. If you do notice damage make sure you take photos in case you need to lodge an insurance claim.”
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️