As Aucklanders prepare to batten down the hatches for the latest onslaught of dangerous weather, those with red and yellow-stickered homes are being asked to stay out of their houses.
Auckland Council’s building consents manager Ian McCormick said their geotechnical advice is the cyclone may cause new slips to fall or reactivate existing slips.
“We’re recommending owners and occupiers remain vigilant on properties that have shown susceptibility to slip in the past, ones that have an existing slip from the January 27th event, or ones that are adjacent to and a similar sort of typography to a building that has a slip on it like that, or is directly above or below.”
The latest MetService update now shows the Category 3 Cyclone Gabrielle, packed with 140km/h plus winds and a month’s worth of rain, will now impact from the top of the North Island to the top of the South for the first part of next week.
McCormick said people should stay out of buildings with red placards and those with yellow placards should follow the advice on the placard and out of an abundance of caution he encouraged people to remain out during the event.
“Stay somewhere else, stay with friends or relatives. Just don’t be in that building during this event, especially if there was ground movement associated with the issue of that yellow placard.”
Earlier this week it was announced there had been more than 270 Auckland houses red-stickered and more than 1600 yellow-stickered.
McCormick encouraged people with any concerns about the stability of their house to also move out until the extreme weather subsides.
“We’re currently contacting owners where we have contact details who are associated with properties that we have noted ground movement during our rapid building assessment program so probably something around 700 to 800 people.”
This, he said, was just to highlight the potential risk.
Signs of “danger” at homes include new ground cracking, muddy waters or springs opening up and sudden loss of water and utilities.
Speaking at an update today, Auckland Emergency Management’s Rachel Kelleher said they continue to work with partner agencies to ensure anything that can be done to prepare for the cyclone is being done.
Kelleher said as well as continuing to work on the current flood response, they are finalising a number of civil defence centres and evacuation shelters for people and their pets.
The locations will be available on the Auckland Emergency Management website when they are confirmed.
She asked people to check on neighbours, especially the elderly and vulnerable.