New Zealand Hit With Flash Floods, Landslides for Third Day
New Zealand’s death toll from heavy rain rose to four on Sunday as flash floods and landslides on the north island continued A third day.
Battered since Friday, Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, remained under a state of emergency. The nation’s weather forecaster, MetService, warned of more severe weather on Sunday and Monday for the north island. It warned that intense rainfall could also lead to flash flooding and surface flooding.
“We know that there is potential for more adverse weather tonight,” Rachel Kelleher, Auckland Emergency Management Controller, spoke to reporters.
Large swathes of north island are affected by the emergency. Waitomo District is located 220km (140 miles) away from Auckland. It declared a state emergency late Saturday.
Police confirmed that a man who was swept away in Onewhero on Friday, about 70km (40 miles) from Auckland, is dead.
“The most horrific part of it is that we’ve lost lives,” Carmel Sepuloni, the Deputy Prime Minister, spoke in Auckland, a city with 1.6 million people.
New Zealand is experiencing more heavy rains, but the impacts vary by region. When James Shaw, Climate Change Minister noted the connection to climate changes on Saturday, he tweeted his support of those who have been affected by flooding.
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Police stated that they are helping with traffic management in Waitomo District following heavy rains. “caused numerous slips, flooding and damage to roads.”
There was also a Bay of Plenty nearby. “widespread flooding,” Police said that the incident also involved a landslide which had destroyed a house and threatened neighboring homes.
Authorities stated that thousands of properties were still without power and hundreds without water.
Air New Zealand will resume international flights into and out Auckland at noon on Sunday, a spokesperson stated.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, less than a week in office, flew by helicopter over Auckland on Saturday and toured flood-hit homes. He described the flood effects in Auckland as “unprecedented” In recent memory.
People made more than 2,000 calls for assistance and 70 evacuations around Auckland – the nation’s largest city – due to the inundation, the New Zealand Herald reported Saturday.
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