I feel like I'm one of the lucky ones. I was at Mt Smart for Elton John, getting drenched with some friends. When it was called off, they headed back to the CBD (where they live) and I headed south to Franklin (where I live).
It took them three hours to get home. It took me 11 hours. The roads were impassable in every direction. I finally just had to find a bit of high ground and wait it out.
But God bless the service station attendant who unlocked the doors at 4.30 this morning to let me go to the toilet. It's been a rough night all round.
Please please please avoid driving through floodwaters, especially on roads next to bodies of water. Roadways may have crumbled and you won’t see it. I lost a relative due to a washed out long driveway during historic levels of flooding in the southeast US. Auckland is looking a lot like that situation. Stay safe y’all. 💞
Big shout out to people in the community who, as it all developed quickly early last night, stood out on roads in pouring rain warning traffic of hazards and impassable roads. This all before services could be on the scene. Absolute heroes. We got diverted 4 times.
We were insanely lucky in our bit of Takaanini, just a few roof leaks. If there's anyone nearby who needs a hand with something, let me know here ♥️
As an aside, I reckon it's 50/50 if the mayor will just step down before he has to *do* anything or face ongoing criticism. It's never seemed like he wanted the job anyway, and spending hours making a cuppa while the city drowned is unforgivable. I half reckon he wasn't planning to say anything until Tuesday, it's a long weekend after all...
The pic of the mayor signing the state of emergency, with his fresh cup of tea, reminds me a little of Trump and the Jan 6 riots. That same disconnected, compassionless attitude... Does my head in :(
So incredibly lucky to live where something like last night was a shock, but I’ve never experienced such a crazy disaster zone in my own neighbourhood. Everyone turned up to help. We were waist to chest deep getting people out of their houses, our friends from a couple of streets over have lost everything so we’ve got them their son and dog all jammed into ours for now. I’m a bit stunned (and sleep deprived) but today is going to be so so hard for a lot of people just getting to grips with what’s happened.
I was stuck last night when the rains hit and it took a terrifying nearly 2 hours to drive about 8kms. I’ve never been so scared in a car. It was awful. So much flooding, so many floating cars. Worried for people in already very soggy places when the rains hit today.
Major flooding in 4th Ave below us in Kingsland - drain covers blown off.
But saw a wonderful picture of neighbours rescuing chickens from a flooded coop - the owner said this morning “ The chickens survived the night, despite being in shock, and are now free ranging on the lawns eating up a storm. (Excuse the pun).”
Total chaos here, we managed to keep it mostly out of our kids room but it will be a massive insurance claim and my poor neighbours lost their whole house! They were terrified in our kitchen (second floor) sobbing watching their house flood.
Our little north Auckland house accrued my sister who wasn’t able to get home, then my besties kids and her mum also stuck, and then just after midnight my brother in law, SIL and 3 nieces who got back from aussie last night, my BIL waded through knee deep water to get them from airport. It feels very surreal and I don’t know what today will bring! First thing, make it to the supermarket and stock up on milk and bread
Thanks for checking in David. Its been a rough night. Access to Albany Heights where we are was cutoff over night, the little one lane bridge accessing our main feeder road had gone from a little stream to a raging torrent with cars floating. The bridge is not visible at all. I think today's daybreak will bring home the full magnitude. We have friends in Titirangi with no power, no water and all road access blocked by either slips or downed power lines. This is going to be a huge event to deal with. Take care of each other worms.
Cantabrian here, sending love. We’ve flooded before and the clean up has been awful. So. Much. Mud.
Through our floods, our council and Mayor got a lot of practice with their CD comms.
It was awful to see your Mayor MIA entirely and the cuppa tea photo didn’t help things in the slightest. Also - the empty bookshelves suggest he’s not even moved into the office / can’t read ... 😐
Good luck Auckland, from down south. We were displaced for a week just before Christmas by heavy rain flooding our house, the clean up was intimidating, it all took so long. Don’t be afraid to say “fuck it a dry bed is good enough right now” and get in it. The sun comes out again eventually.
Thanks for such a great post, David. Turns out you're now my go-to media for this stuff. Such a better way of reading about events. Much gratitude. Keep up the fantastic-ness
Thankfully almost no damage to the place I’m renting in Mt Eden. But I’ll never forget the feeling of being home alone through it all, scouting around the property to take photos to send the landlord, and seeing most of my garden very submerged. I started to hyperventilate and had to talk myself down. I’ve “believed in” the climate crisis for a long time but this was the first time I felt it deeply with all my senses.
I feel like I'm one of the lucky ones. I was at Mt Smart for Elton John, getting drenched with some friends. When it was called off, they headed back to the CBD (where they live) and I headed south to Franklin (where I live).
It took them three hours to get home. It took me 11 hours. The roads were impassable in every direction. I finally just had to find a bit of high ground and wait it out.
But God bless the service station attendant who unlocked the doors at 4.30 this morning to let me go to the toilet. It's been a rough night all round.
Please please please avoid driving through floodwaters, especially on roads next to bodies of water. Roadways may have crumbled and you won’t see it. I lost a relative due to a washed out long driveway during historic levels of flooding in the southeast US. Auckland is looking a lot like that situation. Stay safe y’all. 💞
Big shout out to people in the community who, as it all developed quickly early last night, stood out on roads in pouring rain warning traffic of hazards and impassable roads. This all before services could be on the scene. Absolute heroes. We got diverted 4 times.
We were insanely lucky in our bit of Takaanini, just a few roof leaks. If there's anyone nearby who needs a hand with something, let me know here ♥️
As an aside, I reckon it's 50/50 if the mayor will just step down before he has to *do* anything or face ongoing criticism. It's never seemed like he wanted the job anyway, and spending hours making a cuppa while the city drowned is unforgivable. I half reckon he wasn't planning to say anything until Tuesday, it's a long weekend after all...
The pic of the mayor signing the state of emergency, with his fresh cup of tea, reminds me a little of Trump and the Jan 6 riots. That same disconnected, compassionless attitude... Does my head in :(
So incredibly lucky to live where something like last night was a shock, but I’ve never experienced such a crazy disaster zone in my own neighbourhood. Everyone turned up to help. We were waist to chest deep getting people out of their houses, our friends from a couple of streets over have lost everything so we’ve got them their son and dog all jammed into ours for now. I’m a bit stunned (and sleep deprived) but today is going to be so so hard for a lot of people just getting to grips with what’s happened.
I was stuck last night when the rains hit and it took a terrifying nearly 2 hours to drive about 8kms. I’ve never been so scared in a car. It was awful. So much flooding, so many floating cars. Worried for people in already very soggy places when the rains hit today.
I love the way New Zealanders come together in a crisis! So many acts of kindness and people looking out for their community <3
Major flooding in 4th Ave below us in Kingsland - drain covers blown off.
But saw a wonderful picture of neighbours rescuing chickens from a flooded coop - the owner said this morning “ The chickens survived the night, despite being in shock, and are now free ranging on the lawns eating up a storm. (Excuse the pun).”
Total chaos here, we managed to keep it mostly out of our kids room but it will be a massive insurance claim and my poor neighbours lost their whole house! They were terrified in our kitchen (second floor) sobbing watching their house flood.
Our little north Auckland house accrued my sister who wasn’t able to get home, then my besties kids and her mum also stuck, and then just after midnight my brother in law, SIL and 3 nieces who got back from aussie last night, my BIL waded through knee deep water to get them from airport. It feels very surreal and I don’t know what today will bring! First thing, make it to the supermarket and stock up on milk and bread
Thanks for checking in David. Its been a rough night. Access to Albany Heights where we are was cutoff over night, the little one lane bridge accessing our main feeder road had gone from a little stream to a raging torrent with cars floating. The bridge is not visible at all. I think today's daybreak will bring home the full magnitude. We have friends in Titirangi with no power, no water and all road access blocked by either slips or downed power lines. This is going to be a huge event to deal with. Take care of each other worms.
Cantabrian here, sending love. We’ve flooded before and the clean up has been awful. So. Much. Mud.
Through our floods, our council and Mayor got a lot of practice with their CD comms.
It was awful to see your Mayor MIA entirely and the cuppa tea photo didn’t help things in the slightest. Also - the empty bookshelves suggest he’s not even moved into the office / can’t read ... 😐
Good luck Auckland, from down south. We were displaced for a week just before Christmas by heavy rain flooding our house, the clean up was intimidating, it all took so long. Don’t be afraid to say “fuck it a dry bed is good enough right now” and get in it. The sun comes out again eventually.
Thanks for such a great post, David. Turns out you're now my go-to media for this stuff. Such a better way of reading about events. Much gratitude. Keep up the fantastic-ness
Thankfully almost no damage to the place I’m renting in Mt Eden. But I’ll never forget the feeling of being home alone through it all, scouting around the property to take photos to send the landlord, and seeing most of my garden very submerged. I started to hyperventilate and had to talk myself down. I’ve “believed in” the climate crisis for a long time but this was the first time I felt it deeply with all my senses.