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General Category => General Forum => Topic started by: nitpicker1 on January 23, 2011, 01:32:01 pm



Title: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: nitpicker1 on January 23, 2011, 01:32:01 pm
 with slideshow 



Roads close as heavens open  
14:52 23/01/2011
 
Severe weather has caused flooding and slippages, closed roads and brought down trees in parts of the North Island.

The Fire Service reported that they have responded to more than 100 weather-related events in the northern region this morning with the worst affected areas being the Auckland's North Shore, Eastern Suburbs and the lower central business districts.

"Homes have flooded in the following areas - Omaha, Otahuhu, St Heliers, Remuera, Belmont, Epsom, Takapuna, Greenlane, Hillsborough, Mount Wellington, Devonport, Parnell, Hauraki, Murrays Bay, Westmere, Milford and Castor Bay," the Fire Service's northern communications centre shift manager Jason Phillips said.

"Many commercial premises have now been flooded in the lower CBD due to the high tide."

Anne Clere watched the waves come in on Tamaki Drive. She said they were huge and had come right across the road.

"...saw a man on the foot path get knocked over by a wave which rose over the sea wall. The size and violence of the waves is extraordinary,'' she said.

Other affected areas listed by the Fire Service are:

* The combination of the king tide and high rainfall has flooded buildings in Mahuhu Crescent.

* At Pier 21 - Marine Centre Dry Stack a transformer has caught fire and firefighters are wading through 50m of water to get access to the blaze.

* Queens Arcade has been flooded in Queen Street.

* The Point Apartments basement in the Viaduct is flooded.

* The Britomart Excelsior House basement is flooded.

* At Bucklands Beach, water is coming straight in from the beach and has flooded multiple houses on The Parade.

* At Maraetai, multiple houses and restaurants are flooded on Maraetai Drive.  Sand bags are being used while 30 houses have been flooded by sea water at Herald Island.

* The North Western Motorway in Auckland has one lane flooded city bound between Patiki Road and Waterview. Traffic is being diverted off at Te Atatu through to Gt North Road.

* Tidal debris has resulted in the Northern Motorway (Northshore) city bound being diverted off at Esmonde Road and back on at Onewa Road.

* Tamaki Drive has also been closed at Ngapipi Road due to the incoming tide which is crashing over the seawall in places. A diversion is in place.

About 300 people were evacuated from a Taupo campground this morning as Waikato authorities prepared for flooding across the region.

Campers were asked to leave the low-lying Spa Park, and people living close to rivers and lakes were told to prepare for rising levels over the next three days.  

Trampers and fishermen are being warned that rivers and streams will rise quickly in the Taupo area where another 200-300 mm of rain is forecast in the hills, Waikato Civil Defence duty officer Adam Munro said.



Severe weather has caused flooding and slippages, closed roads and brought down trees in parts of the North Island.

The Fire Service reported that they have responded to more than 100 weather-related events in the northern region this morning with the worst affected areas being the Auckland's North Shore, Eastern Suburbs and the lower central business districts.

"Homes have flooded in the following areas - Omaha, Otahuhu, St Heliers, Remuera, Belmont, Epsom, Takapuna, Greenlane, Hillsborough, Mount Wellington, Devonport, Parnell, Hauraki, Murrays Bay, Westmere, Milford and Castor Bay," the Fire Service's northern communications centre shift manager Jason Phillips said.

"Many commercial premises have now been flooded in the lower CBD due to the high tide."

Anne Clere watched the waves come in on Tamaki Drive. She said they were huge and had come right across the road.

"...saw a man on the foot path get knocked over by a wave which rose over the sea wall. The size and violence of the waves is extraordinary,'' she said.

Other affected areas listed by the Fire Service are:

The MetService has issued a severe weather warning for most of the North Island, including the Bay of Plenty and Bay of Plenty civil defence emergency workers are on standby after heavy rain pelted the region overnight.

Rain had increased in intensity overnight as a low pressure system moved across the upper North Island, said Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokeswoman Bronwyn Campbell.

Rivers in the region were expected to keep rising today, she said.

The MetService had increased its forecast to as much as 450mm of rain, she said.

"Rain will cause rivers and stream to rise quickly, with slips and localised flooding possible, and driving conditions could be dangerous," she said.

She advised people to keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings.

High sea levels produced by strong north to northeast onshore winds accompanying the rain could restrict rivers flowing into the sea in eastern areas from Auckland to the Bay of Plenty, she said.

"All farmers should move stock to high ground, and if people don't need to travel they should stay at home. Campers in the region should pack up and head home."

The MetService has said the heavy rain was expected to be significant for most regions from Northland down to Waitomo and the central North Island high country, and across the Bay of Plenty to Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.

The heaviest rain was expected to be in Northland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, the central high country and the ranges of Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.

-Stuff and NZPA

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4571700/Roads-close-as-heavens-open


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4571700/Roads-close-as-heavens-open

Heavy rain causes flooding, road closures
UPDATED 1:50PM Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:20p.m.

Launch photogallery http://www.3news.co.nz/Home/tabid/1125/articleID/195446/Default.aspx#1

Heavy rain and strong winds are causing havoc across the upper North Island, with campers evacuated, trees down, roads closed and widespread flooding.

About 300 people were evacuated from a Taupo campground this morning as Waikato authorities prepared for flooding across the region.

Campers were asked to leave the low-lying Spa Park, and people living close to rivers and lakes were told to prepare for rising levels over the next three days.

Trampers and fishermen are being warned that rivers and streams will rise quickly in the Taupo area where another 200-300 mm of rain is forecast in the hills, Waikato Civil Defence duty officer Adam Munro said.

The Fire Service responded to more than 100 weather-related events this morning in the northern region, but heavy rain had eased in Auckland and Northland by early afternoon.

Worst affected areas were Auckland's North Shore, eastern suburbs and the lower CBD, said fire service northern shift manager Jaron Phillips.

Homes had flooded across the Auckland region, and many commercial premises in central Auckland had flooded due to the high tide.

Surrounding regions of Auckland were also affected, with high seas flooding houses in Bucklands Beach. People were using sandbags to protect properties in Maraetai where many houses and restaurants had also been drenched, and a further 30 houses were flooded by sea water in Herald Island, Waitakere.

The Fire Service is also keeping a close watch on increasing numbers of incidents in Rotorua and Edgecumbe.

In downtown Auckland, flooding closed Quay Street between Britomart Place and Tinely Street and police say one lane is now open in each direction.

He advised motorists heading through downtown Auckland to avoid the area.

Flooding had also affected the Northwestern Motorway, and tidal debris had forced the closure of part of the Northern Motorway and Tamaki Drive.

A car collided with a fallen tree in the Waikato just after 6am, in what was not a serious crash but closed Maungatautari Road.

Further south, weather had forced the cancellation of the flying programme at Wings Over Wairarapa.

The MetService had issued a severe weather warning for most of the North Island, including the Bay of Plenty, and Civil Defence authorities were on alert.

A revised forecast was issued just before noon predicting much less rain than expected would fall today, after an unusual tropical air mass pushed across Auckland this morning. That caused temperatures to jump six degrees in just 30 minutes, and humidity rocketed to 100 percent.

Rain had eased in Northland and Auckland, and was likely to ease in Coromandel Peninsula by early afternoon.

For Northland and Auckland, occasional rain with a few heavy falls was likely for the remainder of the day, with another 20 to 40mm possible.

Another 20 to 40mm rainfall is possible north of Whitianga, while 40 to 70mm is likely further south.

NZPA

http://www.3news.co.nz/Heavy-rain-causes-flooding-road-closures/tabid/423/articleID/195446/Default.aspx



Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: ssweetpea on January 23, 2011, 04:10:39 pm
It is becoming normal for the North Western motorway to be closed during a king tide and Tamaki Dr were it crosses Hobson Bay is another spot that gets a hammering during bad weather and high tides.

However it is very unusual for the Northern Motorway to be affected by a high tide like it was this morning. We when down that way nearly 2 hours after high tide and they were still clearing the storm wrack off the southbound lanes near Tuff Crater (aka Tank farm).

The seawall at The Promenade car park (Takapuna boat ramp) is often hit by waves at high tide if there is a bit of wind. I know to avoid the 10 spaces along that part of the wall in those conditions.

Today however the sand from wall topping waves was well into the car park. Two rows into the car park. There was sea weed hanging from the fence that separates the car park from the boat ramp. The storm water drain near the beach was blown out. It looked like sea water had topped the bank there (not normal) gone up the drain with force and caused a washout a couple of feet further up the pipe. The kite and wind surfers were out in force and having a whale of a time.

Might head out at high tide tonight with the camera. High tide is 11:21pm.


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: Lovelee on January 23, 2011, 04:26:13 pm
Thankfully we didnt get that much rain .. had just under 40mm since midnight - the wind was bad though not the worst weve had.

Kaeo is flooded.

Theres several cyclones lining us up now.


and we have all 3 tanks full of water & overflowing, first time in a decade for end of January.


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: ssweetpea on January 23, 2011, 04:30:58 pm
These are off facebook

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?fbid=495316554677&set=a.273030159677.141502.271720829677 (http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?fbid=495316554677&set=a.273030159677.141502.271720829677)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30941850&id=1388575810#!/photo.php?fbid=1833575204318&set=a.1220954729189.2034537.1388575810 (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30941850&id=1388575810#!/photo.php?fbid=1833575204318&set=a.1220954729189.2034537.1388575810)


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: robman on January 23, 2011, 05:04:11 pm
Yes, big tides at the moment combined with easterlies and low barometric pressure as well as a lot of rain. The NW motorway has been sinking into the mud for years and the plan is to use the fill from the Waterview motorway to build it back up.
Someone posted this on TradeMe..
I just got off the phone with a friend living in the Bay of Plenty
which is bearing the full brunt of the floods.

He said that since early this morning the flood has been nearly waist
high and rain is still falling.

The temperature is soaring and the north wind is increasing to near gale force.

His wife has done nothing for hours but look through the kitchen window, and just stares.

He says that if it gets much worse, he may have to let her in.


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: Lovelee on January 23, 2011, 05:05:12 pm
the second link is a family shot SP ..  :-\


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: nitpicker1 on January 23, 2011, 05:14:59 pm
Quote
from Robman - His wife has done nothing for hours but look through the kitchen window, and just stares.

He says that if it gets much worse, he may have to let her in.

(https://cdn.smfboards.com/Smileys/smf/2funny.gif)
oops that doesn't sound right, does it.

let's try it again:

Yes, big tides at the moment combined with easterlies and low barometric pressure as well as a lot of rain. The NW motorway has been sinking into the mud for years and the plan is to use the fill from the Waterview motorway to build it back up.
Someone posted this on TradeMe..
I just got off the phone with a friend living in the Bay of Plenty
which is bearing the full brunt of the floods.

He said that since early this morning the flood has been nearly waist
high and rain is still falling.

The temperature is soaring and the north wind is increasing to near gale force.

His wife has done nothing for hours but look through the kitchen window, and just stares.

He says that if it gets much worse, he may have to let her in.


'Zat better?


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: ssweetpea on January 23, 2011, 06:18:37 pm
the second link is a family shot SP ..  :-\

Oops, I have corrected the link. It seem that "copy short cut" on facebook gives you the link to the whole album.  ???


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: Lovelee on January 23, 2011, 06:44:37 pm
lol


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: Alicat on January 23, 2011, 06:51:17 pm
A new alert is available for you to view on the Police website:

Location: Various weather related incidents - drive with extreme care
District: National Alerts

The situation as at 1600hrs this evening is:

SH 1 - north of Waiouru -  there is reports of flooding and a vehicle crash 
due to wet roads

SH2 - between Napier and Wairoa - minor slips - travel with care - surface 
water on roads

SH3 - Wanganui to Taranaki - multiple minor slips - travel with care - 
surface water on roads

SH4 - Wanganui to Raetihi - multiple minor slips - travel with care- surface 
water on roads

SH5 - Napier Taupo - large slip - travel with care- surface water on roads


The weather is making travel hazardous with most roads have surface water on 
them.

We ask drivers to take extra care if they are driving in the North Island 
this evening.

Sgt Andy DOW
Central Communication Centre
Wellington







Please view the full details of the alert online at:

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/updates/26860.html

Thanks,

New Zealand Police



Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: ssweetpea on January 24, 2011, 02:42:41 pm
Some pictures I took last night (23 Jan 2011) and this morning.

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN0005.jpg)
Waves breaking over the sea wall and flooding the car park at The Promenade end of Takapuna Beach just before high tide (23:00) We were parked in the centre row of the carpark and I was using the wingmirror in leiu of a tripod as the wind was too strong. The water was washing over my feet (about 4cm deep).

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN9982.jpg)
Believe it or not there is a big boat ramp wide enough for 4 boat trailers under this lot, Takapuna

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN9987.jpg)
The Takapuna beach access at The Promenade, the wash was starting to encroach on the road shortly after this.



(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN9993.jpg)
When the Takapuna Beach campground gets a little too beach/reef front

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN0012.jpg)
This was a picket fence halfway down Takapuna beach - most of the fences near the normal high tide mark are in semi dismantled condition this morning but this was the fence that stuck out the most and suffered the worst.

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN0023.jpg)
Err... one reason for not buying beach front property, see were the tide wash got up to?
This between Tiri Rd and Muritai Rd Milford beach. This stretch of Milford Beach has a walkway on top of a sea wall protecting a truck sewer line between the houses and the sand.

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN0025.jpg)
Some erosion between Tiri Rd and Muritai Rd, Milford

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN0026.jpg)
This is where I have taken photos of waves breaking over the Milford sea wall before. It happens any high tide with a bit of wind behind it. However that was a concrete ramp acess to the beach at the end of the sea wall (Ocean View Rd). It was in good shape before this weekend. Now it is impassible to pedestians.

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/Auckland/DSCN0027.jpg)
This is the park bench in the previous photo from a different angle - you can see where the retaining wall used to be. There are half rounds scattered all along the beach and on top of the walkway as well as the same kind of fence damage  we saw at Takapuna. Worse still the beach at the foot of the wall has some holes sooped out. The tide was too high still for us to get further along or to get down the sand to have a closer look.

(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/DSCN1062.jpg)
This is a wave breaking photo I took in 2006 at the same beach access


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: Lovelee on January 24, 2011, 03:04:06 pm
Love the wave breaking photo .. you should send it to the Herald or TV news .. dont mention its an old one ..thats a great pic!


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: ssweetpea on January 25, 2011, 07:31:34 am
It takes ages to take that sort of photo with a digital camera. Basically you have to click and hope the shutter is open if a wave hits. Not easy in the wind. The 2006 picture was with a shutter speed of 1/30 second from memory. The ones from Sunday night were 1 sec exposures while balanced on an object that wasn't quite still. All those poles and the van were shaking in the wind. The flash proved to be next to useless as you can see from the two shots taken that way. The white dots are raindrops very close to the camera.

Not bad for a 5 year old point and shoot digital camera that had taken over 10,000 photos.

One of these days we will get a DSLR but things like a TV, hot water cylander, stove and fridge are further up the priority list at present.


I went back down to Milford for a walk last night when the tide was out. The beach has been lowered by up to 18 inches in places. The footing of the wall supporting the sewer are visible and one of the stair accesses is missing entirely. At the black reef end of the beach that sand the used to be built up against the wall so high that stairs weren't needed is gone. Only one gate in the property fences and walls along there is intact, the rest are broken or missing. Takapuna beach is similar at the north end.

At Black Rock Pump Station there is an older rock wall lying on its side still pretty much intact but completely horizonal. The board walk is missing several planks and an entire 8 foot section. A part from that there is little if any damage between there and Thorn Bay but the tide line is that far side of the rock walls and there is a fair bit of sand missing from Thorn Bay as well as unexpected sandy areas on parts of the reef.

I can't help wondering if there was any sea water infultration into Lake Pupuke. The only outlet to the lake it through cracks in the lava flow at that point and the cracks were flowing very freely. They all would have been below the water line during the high tides on Sunday.

This an newpaper photo of the only old house on the reef, the board walk in intact state, half the dipped section is gone now. Black Rock Pump Station is just out of shot to the right
(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o195/curse_tea/ThesweetspotSurroundedbymansionsPau.jpg)


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: nitpicker1 on January 25, 2011, 07:55:16 am


" when words are worth a thousand pix," ssweetp.

I can see the sights you describe in my minds eye. TYFT and I appreciate the difficulties of drive-round nighttime pix too.  We seldom see them even from the media photographers!  ONYA


Title: Re: Flooding, Road closures, in parts of the North Island.
Post by: Kiwithrottlejockey on January 25, 2011, 12:05:01 pm

(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Cartoons%202011/3552_WetWeather_25Jan11.jpg)