Auckland floods: More wild footage emerges from New Zealand's weather emergency

28 Jan 2023
Auckland

Footage has emerged of shoppers wading through flooded supermarkets and riding on inundated buses as wild weather battered Auckland. 

The New Zealand city has been left submerged after a summer's worth of rain slammed the region on Friday night before easing on Saturday.

The wild weather prompted a state of emergency to be declared with three people killed, several more missing and the Elton John concert cancelled.

The much-anticipated show was called off 30 minutes before the start time leaving concert goers fuming and forcing them to catch public transport home.

Footage has since emerged showing a double-decker bus carrying 50 concert-goers travelling through raging floodwaters.

Footage has since emerged showing a double-decker bus carrying 50 concert-goers travelling through raging floodwaters as it drove the commuters home 

A separate video has emerged showing a Pack n' Save supermarket left flooded with shoppers wading through the knee-high water

Commuters are seen sitting in their seats and holding their feet above the aisle that is flooded in brown water.

'Don't slow down,' a passenger is heard telling the driver.

The camera turns to the view outside showing water raging through the streets.

Northshore resident Dan Willdridge recalled watching residents outside pushing cars that had become trapped.

'We'd seen a lot of the water on the way there but thought it would recede. You could just see water flooded everywhere,' he said. 

Mr Willdridge said the driver made the right call to push on through the floodwaters

'The driver was calm and just displayed confidence so that kind of gave some people reassurance,' he said. 

The bus ride took three-and-a-half hours before Mr Willdridge managed to safely make it home. 

A separate video has emerged showing a Pack n' Save supermarket left flooded with shoppers wading through the knee-high water.

The bottom half of shelves are seen disappearing beneath the surface as fresh fruit and vegetables are kept dry as they are propped up on boxes. 

Customers are seen patiently queuing at the checkout as a bundle of packaged toilet paper floats past them. 

The bottom half of shelves are seen disappearing beneath the surface as fresh fruit and vegetables are kept dry as they are propped up on boxes

Three people are dead and several are missing as a record amount of rain, wild floods and landslides battered Auckland

A state of emergency was declared in the city on Friday with more than 249mm of rain falling in the area over the last 24 hours

The northern, north-western and western parts of the city have been hit the hardest by floods with emergency services warning the conditions will worsen on Saturday

One man was found dead after his body was discovered at a flooded culvert in Wairau Valley at 7.30pm last night.

Another person was found dead at a carpark on Link Drive, in the same suburb, at 12.30am on Saturday and a third was found dead on Shore Road at Remuera.

One man is missing after he was swept away at Onewhero at 10.15pm on Friday. 

Hillsborough, Massey, Stanley Point and Northcote Point are among the areas where homes have been left hanging on the edge of cliff sides following landslides.

Videos have emerged of residents being left stranded at their flooded homes with emergency services using ropes and boats to rescue them. 

Some 2,000 people were left stuck at Auckland Airport overnight as waters rose around them.

Photographs uploaded to social media showed the international terminal submerged in floodwaters with levels reaching to the knees of passengers.

Emergency services were able to send them home as floodwaters subsided overnight with domestic and international flights cancelled.

It comes after a terrifying night that saw two people die, another two go missing, widespread damage to homes, residents left stranded in floodwaters, and up to 2,000 people stuck at Auckland Airport

The devastating rain prompted Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown to declare a state of emergency on Friday night 

'This declaration reflects the extent of damage, displacement and disruption caused by this evening's severe weather event,' Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said 

'Due to the damage, no domestic or international flights will be arriving or departing from Auckland Airport before noon Saturday, 28 January,' the airport tweeted.

'We sincerely apologise to any travellers impacted by the closure. We encourage you to get in touch with your airline or check your airline travel app for the latest information and for any impacts on your travel plans.'

The devastating rain prompted Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown to declare a state of emergency on Friday night.

'This declaration reflects the extent of damage, displacement and disruption caused by this evening's severe weather event,' he said in a statement.

'The region has experienced widespread damage from flooding and torrential rain, with reports of slips and inundation.

'Infrastructure and emergency services alike have been overwhelmed by the impacts of the storm.'

A state of emergency was declared in Auckland on Friday due to devastating floods fuelled by torrential rain (pictured, an emergency worker and residents wade in through flood in Auckland) 

Both the domestic and international airport were closed because of the flooding in Auckland (pictured, stranded passengers)

Social media photos (above) show the check-in area in the International Terminal knee-deep in flood water

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated from their homes but overwhelmed emergency services urged anyone safe to stay home (pictured, flooded roads in Auckland)

Mayor Brown expressed his sympathy in a late-night press conference after a body was discovered by a member of the public in Wairau Valley at about 7.25pm.

Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Andrew Clark warned the city is forecast to cop more severe weather on Saturday morning. 

'There are reports that some parts of the region have experienced a summer's worth of rain in a few hours and that has resulted in significant flooding,' he said, the NZ Herald reports.

'We continue to urge people to be vigilant and keep an eye on the weather forecast and your property.

'If it is safe to stay home, please do so. If you need to evacuate and can stay with family and friends, please do so in the first instance.'

Some 40,000 Elton John fans have been left disappointed as the devastating floods saw the singer cancel his Auckland concert (pictured, the road following the concert cancellation) 

Major roads around Auckland have been blocked by the floods, causing long traffic queues on highways (pictured, residents walking through floodwater)

Widespread flooding has hit Auckland, closing its domestic and international airports (above)

Passengers travelling out of Auckland have been left stranded as floodwater engulfs the international and domestic airports (pictured, the airport check-in)

He told anyone without a safe place to evacuate or in need of assistance to head to the Civil Defence Centre that's been set up in Kelston, in the city's west.

Two more shelters later opened at the North Shore Events Centre at Manu Tukutuku. 

'If you do need to evacuate, please take essential items, like medicines, with you,' he said.

The drastic nature of the wide-spread floods has led to questioning over why Auckland Mayor Brown didn't declare a state of emergency sooner.

'There has been some speculation I could have acted sooner but I couldn't have. This is a formal process, not to be taken lightly,' he told reporters on Friday night.

'I've listened to the professionals in the field. We have been on standby to receive the correct time for me to sign it and immediately after I was given that call to make that decision, I did.'

'Everybody finds these (events) very traumatic and difficult, you have to take your role seriously.

'My role isn't to rush out with buckets. It's to be here ensuring that the centre is well organised and that we are taking the appropriate steps at the appropriate time, not rushing into them In response to noise outside.' 

New Zealand meteorology centre Met Service said 154mm of rain fell over the airport (above) between 9am and 8pm on Friday - the 12-hour record for the area is 161.8mm

Auckland Emergency Management Andrew Clark anyone without a safe place to evacuate or in need of assistance to head to the Civil Defence Centre that's been set up in Kelston (pictured, residents in floodwater)

Authorities warned Auckland is forecast to cop more heavy rain on Saturday morning (pictured, a flooded shop in Glenfield, Auckland)

Travellers have been left stranded at Auckland international and domestic airports as floodwater rises (above)

Major roads were also blocked by the floods, causing long traffic queues on highways. 

Police said they were working with Fire and Emergency New Zealand to respond to calls and asked people to stay off the roads if possible. 

Live traffic updates are available at the NZ Transport Agency website. 

Elton John's concert in the city, which was expected to by attended by about 40,000 people, was cancelled on Friday due to the floods.

'Given the weather, tonight's show has been cancelled. Our operations team is working to redirect special event buses to help get people back home,' Auckland Transport said in a statement on Twitter.

National civil defence minister, Kieran McAnulty tweeted 'a number of people have been evacuated and are being given the support that they need'.

'I'd urge people to follow the advice of authorities and check Auckland Emergency Management for the latest information,' he said. 

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