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Home / New Zealand

Call to check on most vulnerable residents as thousands of Aucklanders face weekend without power

NZ Herald
12 Apr, 2018 11:51 PM4 mins to read

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Power has been restored to close to 95 per cent of homes recently thrown into darkness by Tuesday's storm.

The number of Auckland homes without power is now down to approximately 11,000 according to supplier Vector.

At the peak of the storm there were 180,000 without power, just two and a half days ago.

The company said the storm damage was the worst on the network since at least 2007.

"The extensive damage to the backbone of the network takes time to repair, but is critical to getting the most customers back on in the fastest time," a Vector statement said.

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"Our next priority is the pockets of individual homes still without power due to failures on the low-voltage network."

The company warned the work on individual homes would take well into next week.

It acknowledged some residents would be disappointed but said staff were working "around the clock to restore power as fast as humanly possible."

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Customers had already expressed frustration over changing repair times.

Ellen Xing, who lives in Three Kings with her child and partner, said Vector had repeatedly put back the time for the reconnection of their electricity supply.

The latest notification indicated the power wouldn't go back on until 10pm tomorrow.

"We keep getting a message from Vector and expect to get the power fixed. This is the sixth time. It's just frustrating."

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A map of power outages affecting Auckland as of 1pm Friday. Image / Vector
A map of power outages affecting Auckland as of 1pm Friday. Image / Vector

Auckland Emergency Management director John Dragicevich said the lack of power was affecting the welfare of Aucklanders.

"These issues directly affect the welfare of Aucklanders and we ask people to check on their friends and family who may be affected.

"This means calling them if you can, going around to see them or, if you can't get there, can someone else you know check in on them? When you visit take what they might need, things like hot food, clean water and blankets."

Auckland Emergency Management was providing drinking water and portaloos to those who could not access those services.

Overnight they had received more than 45 calls from households needing portaloos and drinking water, which they were distributing today.

"This is specifically for those who are on septic tanks which rely on power to draw potable water and have no power," Dragicevich said.

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Each person will receive 2.4 litres of water per day for three days.

"Most of the requests are from isolated communities, and going forward we are looking to identify locations for centralised portaloo and drinking-water sources. These will offer multiple portaloos and water for communities to access."

MetService says outbreaks of heavy thundery rain are forecast for Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato and western Bay of Plenty tonight and during Saturday.

A list of Auckland areas still without power. Image / Vector
A list of Auckland areas still without power. Image / Vector

A front over the Tasman Sea is moving eastwards and will bring rain with heavy and possibly thundery falls to parts of the North Island.

The most intense rainfall, and the highest rainfall accumulations, is expected to affect Auckland (mainly south of the city), Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty west of Tauranga.

A heavy rain watch is in place for those areas from 9pm tonight to 6pm tomorrow.

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"Keep an eye on the weather during the weekend and when it is safe to do so secure loose outdoor items and clear your gutters," Dragicevich said.

"Also it might be a good time to restock your emergency supplies such as fuel for generators, gas bottles for barbecues, and batteries for your torches."

Vector had called in additional crew reinforcements from outside Auckland, including from as far away as Palmerston North and Wellington.

All downed power lines should be treated as live.

People should stay well away and not attempt to cut or move trees that are in contact with lines.

Since Tuesday Auckland Council had received more than 2000 calls to the contact centre relating to downed trees - more than in an average month.

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Auckland Council libraries are open today and people without power can go and get warm and charge their phones.

All Auckland Council leisure centres are offering a hot shower for free, and somewhere to get warm and have a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Anyone without access to a toilet or drinking water because of the storm can phone Auckland Emergency Management on 0800 22 22 00.

Report trees down on public land to Auckland Council on 09 301 0101.

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