New Zealand: Heavy rain – Auckland declares state of emergency (Video)
Heavy rain Terrifying floods in New Zealand, with Auckland declaring a state of emergency
Story: A disappointment for many music fans in Auckland, New Zealand. Because the long-awaited Elton John concert, which was supposed to take place at a stadium, had to be canceled due to heavy rain. Perhaps the frustration of those affected was great. But other residents of the city of millions had to deal with much worse conditions on Friday. Rescuers were working to help people out of their homes after heavy rains caused severe flooding. The New Zealand Meteorological Service has issued severe weather warnings as heavy rain is expected to continue. In some parts of the city, many streets were flooded. Local police warned drivers to be careful. More detailed information about the damage is not yet available.
Emergency services had to bring residents of Auckland, New Zealand’s capital, to safety. An Elton John concert in the city was also cancelled. The New Zealand Meteorological Service continues to warn of heavy rain.
After heavy rains in the middle of New Zealand’s summer, large parts of the largest city, Auckland, are flooded. Civil defense has asked citizens of the North Island capital of 1.6 million people to get to safety and prepare for possible evacuations. The authorities declared a state of emergency in the area in the evening (local time). In some areas of the city, 80 percent of the rain measured all summer fell within 15 hours, the National Research Institute NIWA said. The suburbs of Comio and Albany were hit hard.
New Zealand: Auckland State of Emergency
“Parts of Auckland probably get as much rain in one day as they have in the entire summer,” Niwa wrote on Twitter. Firefighters used kayaks and jet skis to rescue people from their homes. A concert scheduled for Elton John at Mount Smart Stadium has been canceled shortly before it was due to start due to safety concerns. 40,000 fans had to go home disappointed and overwhelmed. Many roads have been closed. Videos circulating on the Internet showed cars floating in flood waters. Rescuers worked tirelessly to get people to safety. Eyewitnesses reported the worst floods they had ever seen.
Mayor: “The rain has to stop”
There have been power outages in some urban areas of Auckland. Parts of the airport were also flooded. Passengers were told not to come to the international terminal as the building was flooded. More rain was expected overnight. Green politician Gulriz Kahraman tweeted that the scenes that occurred in the flooded areas were “terrifying” and emphasized: “This is what we will see again and again around the world due to the climate crisis until we see it in politics and take action. Seriously.” “The rain has to stop, that’s the main problem,” Mayor Wayne Brown told Radio New Zealand.
Find a dead body in the suburbs
Emergency services were literally inundated with calls for help. The Civil Protection has called on people to stay home and only use the emergency call if they are, in fact, in mortal danger. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hepkins said on Twitter that authorities are working hard to help people. According to Mayor Wayne Brown, a body was found in a northern suburb of Oakland in the evening. However, it was not clear at first if there was a connection to the floods. Brown announced a visit to the hardest-hit areas on Saturday to see for himself the extent of the damage.
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