Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand
In the week since the weather event in Auckland last Friday, Fire and Emergency received 3,477 calls from around the upper North Island, of which 2,544 were weather-related incidents.
Of these incidents, 2,321 were in Auckland, 114 in Waikato, 93 in the Bay of Plenty and 16 in Northland.
Fire and Emergency Te Hiku Region Manager Ron Devlin says firefighters have been working incredibly hard, responding non-stop since the weather event began last Friday.
“While we respond to emergencies all the time, the weather incident was significant, affecting our operations and our people personally,” Mr Devlin said.
“I appreciate the efforts of all our people under such extraordinary circumstances, especially with many having their own properties affected.
“Fire and Emergency is fortunate to have a specialist Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) capability to assist in events like this.”
Mr Devlin says while weather conditions have improved, there were further rain and severe weather warnings yesterday afternoon.
“The impact of all this poor weather is that the ground is very wet and had no time to recover with such sustained rain,” Mr Devlin said.
“As a result, it takes very little to create further flooding and slips, and we remain in a state of readiness. We are also now providing support to the recovery efforts led by Auckland Emergency Management.”
From 12.01am on Thursday 2 February to 11.30am on Friday 3 February, Fire and Emergency’s Communication Centres received 99 calls in the North Island, of which 13 were weather-related. Eight were in Auckland, and five were in the Bay of Plenty.
Of the eight incidents in Auckland, seven were priority two (where there is a potential risk to people), and one did not require us to attend. These included:
- Tree blocking a road in Swanson
- Tree down on a road in Mt Albert
- Tree down on a road in Orakei
about to fall out in Grey Lynn
Of the five incidents in Bay of Plenty, one was a priority one incident (where there is confirmed risk to people) and four were priority two. These included:
- Tree down on SH30
- Tree blocking a road in Okataina
- Tree blocking a road in Paengaroa
down on road in Okere Falls
“We are warning people to be aware of the possibility of slips, falling trees and infrastructure damage and monitor conditions,” Mr Devlin said.
“Please continue to take care when moving around areas affected by the weather event. Remember, in an emergency do not wait – dial 111. We are here to help.”
