Torrential rain batters Auckland with airport flooded, homes evacuated and a body found as mayor declares state of emergency and Elton John concert is cancelled
- Auckland’s Mayor Wayne Brown declared a state of emergency
- He also revealed a body had been found in flood waters in the city
- Torrential rain has seen homes evacuated and the airport flooded
A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland following torrential rain with homes evacuated and the city’s airport flooded.
Auckland’s Mayor Wayne Brown declared a state of emergency due to the extent of the ‘damage, displacement and disruption’ caused by the weather.
He also revealed a body had been found in flood waters.
Both the domestic and international airport were closed because of the flooding, with social media photos showing the check-in area in the International Terminal knee-deep in flood water.
Videos on social media showed firefighters, police and defence force staff rescuing stranded people from flooded homes using ropes and rescue boats. No details were immediately available on how many people had been evacuated so far.
Emergency workers and a man wade through flood waters in Auckland on Friday
Both the domestic and international airport were closed because of the flooding in Auckland
Social media photos show the check-in area in the International Terminal knee-deep in flood water
Auckland Emergency Management said in a post on Twitter that northern, northwestern and western parts of the city were affected by significant flooding, with conditions expected to worsen.
The agency advised residents in flood-prone areas to prepare to evacuate and opened an evacuation centre in West Auckland.
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.
flooded street after Elton John’s concert was canceled due to bad weather, in Auckland
Major roads were also blocked by the floods, causing long traffic queues on highways
Elton John’s concert in the city, which was expected to by attended by about 40,000 people, was cancelled.
‘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.
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