Auckland Floods: Where to get financial help, accommodation and food
On Friday the 27th of January, severe flooding hit Auckland after the City of Sails received 75% of their usual summer rainfall within 15 hours. It resulted in slips, evacuations and flooding with roads across the region blocked.
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown decided to declare a State of Emergency at 9.54pm after flooding wreaked havoc with peak hour traffic and Auckland airport went under water resulting in flights being cancelled and at least 2000 passengers stuck there overnight.
Some of the worst hit areas around Auckland below -
As at 5.10pm, Monday 30th Jan, all Auckland education facilities have been ordered to close until February 7 as Auckland grapples with wild weather and flood damage.
So far up to four people have died - Two people were found dead in Wairau Valley while the third was found in Remuera and the fourth in Onewhero, Waikato.
At a media conference on Sunday afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni said the death of four people was was 'horrific'.
"I think it's been a traumatic experience. ... That's the most horrific part of it that we've lost lives.
At least 79 properties were evacuated with widespread damage to homes. Police are stepping up patrols in flooded areas of Auckland to protect empty homes that could be a tempting target for burglars. 9 Auckland homes have been red-stickered - deemed uninhabitable - so far.
The Government has pledged $100k to the mayoral relief fund to help communities in Auckland affected by the flooding.
A State of Emergency remains in place across the Auckland region and Waitomo district.
More heavy rain and possible severe thunderstorms are forecast for Tuesday going into Wednesday (31st Jan & 1st Feb)
Authorities are urging people to only call 111 if lives are in danger.
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Here are some key updates and info we hope will help below - we will try to update as new information and updates come through from Civil Defence and Emergency Services.
Community Support:
Addresses for the 4 Civil Defence Centres are listed below
- In Kelston at Saint Leonard's Road School, 15 Leonard's Road
- In Randwick Park, at Manu Tukutuku, 32 Riverton Drive
- In Mangere Memorial Hall, Domain Road, Mangere Bridge - set to move to Mangere Rec Centre from tomorrow Tuesday 31st Jan.
- In Albany, at the Massey University Albany East Precinct. Enter at Gate 1/Main Entrance off the Albany Expressway SH17. The centre is set up in the Sir Neil Waters Theatre
A helpline has also been set up by Auckland Emergency Management for anyone who needs accommodation: 0800 22 22 00.
Evacuation Centres for North, South and West via The Cause Collective below -
You can access MSD’s 0800-400-100 to access civil defence payments and hardship assistance. Click here for Information about these payments.
Mental health support lives here: https://mentalhealth.org.nz/helplines
The Spinoff have also put together a useful list of where Aucklanders can get and offer help here
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Pasifika Futures have put together helpful slides on how to keep you and your families well during this time -
Mangere Memorial Hall on Domain Road in Mangere Bridge has become an emergency centre, with supplies and support for those impacted. They are open until 8am on Tuesday and will then shift to the Mangere Recreation Centre aka Moana Nui a Kiwa Leisure Centre Pools.
Councillors and support workers there said that they had over 200 families come through needing different levels of help - many with their houses no longer liveable and needing accommodation.
If you'd like to donate, support workers have said they're in need of blankets, sheets, bedding, towels and non perishable food items. They don't need clothes at the moment.
Mangere Neighbourhood Support have also put together a form for Mangere and Mangere Bridge residents you can access here. Fill out your details if your house has been affected by flooding and you've had to move out. Police will then patrol the area to protect against looting and property theft.
The Mangere 275 Facebook page are also doing a great job keeping the community up to date - check out their page here
Doron Semu has put together an updated list of organisations providing food parcels for people with food insecurity in South Auckland. You don’t need a community services card or receive a benefit to receive support. Some of the organisations require you to do a questionnaire to see what your needs are, how they can support you and if there are any other additional services they can help with beyond food, such as essential bills, counselling, mental health support and budgeting services.
The last 3 slides are for those in isolation only. There are another 18 support services that haven’t been listed here that you can see in this post here. Check them out too.
For rubbish clean up and skip bins -
Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick has put together a comprehensive list of Grassroots supports across Tamaki Makaurau Auckland - where you can get and give help. Click into the link below and open up the thread, then scroll down to find your area.
We love to see small businesses supporting the community and those in need like Elmos NZ and the Sikh Association
Auckland Airport / Travel Update
Latest update from Auckland Airport as at 9am on Monday, 30th January below -
Air New Zealand says it is working through significant disrupts due to the wild weather and will resume international departures tomorrow.
* Domestic & regional network is back up and running
* The airline estimates it was forced to cancel around 240 flights affecting thousands of customers.
* Introduced flexibility on all fare types for customers who hold tickets for travel to, from or through Auckland between 27 Jan 23 & 30 Jan 23 on an Air NZ flight
Driving around Auckland - there are still several road closures due to flooding. Click here to see the full list of road closures as well as public transport disruptions across Auckland.
Auckland Transport twitter page are also tweeting updates here
Other Info
Weather forecast the next couple of days -
Via the Metservice
Auckland Council says it's expecting more rain to move into the city throughout Sunday (29th Jan), with potential heavy bursts in the afternoon and overnight.
"Flood water can rise quickly so avoid unnecessary travel, put your safety first... Remember, if your life, health or property is in danger, phone 111," the council said in a media update on Sunday.
"To report flooding, damage to drains or stormwater issues, please log your issue online at aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/report-problem.
With more heavy rain forecast, Auckland Council has some infomation on why it's not a good idea to play in the flood water.
Insurance
Vero EGM consumer Jane Brewer says “Vero New Zealand has today received more than 300 claims relating to storm damage from the Auckland rain event, with higher than usual call volumes continuing to come directly through its customer lines. The claims are across consumer, business, motor and corporate and we’re expecting those claims numbers to increase sharply.
Since Friday evening, Vero has had teams on the ground to assist customers with alternative accommodation and to assess and secure property. At this stage, most important is that people keep themselves safe. If customers need a Vero representative urgently, or urgent repairs are required, customers should call us immediately'
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Tower is doing everything it can to support customers affected by flooding in Auckland and the upper North Island. Tower Chief Claims Officer Steve Wilson says, while it’s too early to estimate overall numbers, claims volumes are high and the business expects the floods to be a large event.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by flooding in Auckland, as well as the wider Auckland community.
“We are experiencing high claims volumes and are taking a number of actions to best support our customers during what we know is a stressful and traumatic time for many. Our job as an insurer is to be there when people need us most. Our teams care deeply about our customers - we’re working as hard and as fast as we can to do what’s right by them.”
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State Insurance have some tips to help you stay safe and get you back on your feet.
You can also visit their Disaster Claims Hub for more information to help you prepare, stay safe and recover – including what you can throw away and how to manage damage to your property. You’ll also find useful resources to guide you through the claims process when you’re ready.
Climate Change
The Auckland floods are a sign of things to come – the city needs stormwater systems fit for climate change. James Renwick, Professor in Physical Geography (climate science) looks at what we need to do to adapt. Read more here
Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick talks more on this with RNZ
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