“The conditions are too dangerous, currently, for our crews to try and restore power. However, if conditions allow, they will start restoring from first light.”
Power outages expected to be prolonged
Despite efforts to get power back on as soon as possible, Counties Energy said people should be aware that the network has suffered and continues to suffer severe damage.
As a result, power outages will be prolonged.
“Prepare for significant time without power.”
The energy company said its fault crews were isolating power to any safety concerns such as lines and poles down and damaged equipment.
“We’re facing a really dangerous situation, with many lines down and appeal to our community to please be careful and treat all lines as live.”
Members of the public are urged to be careful around downed lines and to treat all as being live.
“If you see a downed power line or damaged power equipment, stop, retreat and stay well clear.”
People are told to stay at least a bus length away from any lines down and to not touch anything in the area - such as fences, gates and nearby vehicles - if they do not know for sure that crews have isolated power in the vicinity.
“It’s our top priority to get a crew there to isolate the power and to keep you, your whānau and your animals safe.”
People are also being asked to avoid phoning in to report an outage and instead report it via the Outage Hub app. Downed lines and damaged equipment can be reported on 0800 100 202.
Regular updates on the situation are also being reported via their dedicated Cyclone Gabrielle updates page via their website.
