KEY POINTS:
The recent storms first hit the Far North - where a state of civil emergency was called. The winds and rain then moved south and battering Auckland for most of Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday.
Torrential rain and winds up to 150km/h hit Auckland, the Coromandel and parts of the Waikato. At Tiritiri Matangi, off the Whangaparaoa peninsula, a wind gust of 180km/h was recorded. Homes in Northland could be without power until the weekend.
Here is a selection of Your Stories:
Vicki
Up in Mairangi Bay our neighbour's large Kowhai tree ended up lying across our driveway and car space, bringing the garden wall with it and narrowly missing a bedroom window in our house on its journey. Had it happened 10 minutes later when my husband arrived home, his car (usually in the car space) would no longer be in a fit state for the road.
Justin (Opuawhanga)
I had to get up on my roof as a length of flashing was lifting in the massive winds. I put the ladder up on the lee side of the house and crawled across the roof (I couldn't stand). I put my hammer down on the roof to get a nail out of my pocket — the hammer blew away across the roof! The kids trampoline also took flight and may well be in Australia by now.
K (Auckland)
Heard about the strong "gusties" from colleagues yesterday at work. Did not expect anything out the normal. I was riding home from University of Auckland on my scooter at about 4.55pm along Symonds St. Really gusty winds but I unexpectedly got winds pushed me from the left across two lanes to the right. Fortunately, most motorists were extra cautious and I was not in the way of any vehicles coming form the rear, otherwise I would have been hit, veering like that across lanes without any warning. It was a strange feeling to be out of control while being swept along by the forces of the wind. I rode with extra care along the rest of the journey home with less intense winds. Glad to be safe.
Ollie
JH comments that roofing getting blown off buildings is a symptom of shoddy workmanship and poor quality building. This is not necessarily true. As an architectural designer, we can only design for a reasonable max limit of windpower. Above that the cost of construction escalates and people like JH are the first to complain that we charge too much. Some freak storms are simply so ferocious that despite the best efforts of architects and builders, damage inevitably will occur somewhere.
Priscilla (Pauanui holiday ended)
Pauanui lost power last night perhaps at about 6pm. This morning still powerless. Word of mouth told me it may be restored this eve or the following morning. Gave up on holiday and came back to Auckland. I came home to guttering having blown off my house. Looked on internet for information about the Pauanui power situation and found nothing useful.
Walter
Flood problems and slips are often not caused by changing weather patterns but often by removal of bush block/commercial forests. For example the native bush upstream from our place seems to have been diminishing to commercial forest. Recently the pine forests have been cut down. As a result the river rises much quicker and floods more of the surrounding land. I assume this is because there is less groundwater retention when there are no trees. This is just a local observation. Maybe rather than move the town (Kaeo) they should plant some native trees (like 100 km2) upstream instead of cutting them all down for commercial reasons!
Bev (Takapuna)
The major storm that hit the North Shore this week left residents reeling in its wake. Strong winds cut power to a number of areas, leaving householders baffled. One man was seen carrying his plasma screen up the street looking for somewhere to plug it in. Others suffered horrific losses. "I've driven from Milford to Rothesey Bay and I can't find a soy latte anywhere," sobbed a distraught woman. Many drivers are finding their 4 wheel drive vehicles invaluable in the trying conditions. One man admitted he had driven right over workers clearing fallen trees from the road and had hardly felt a thing. Rescue organisations have been quick to respond to the disaster. A Starbucks tanker is calling on housebound residents, and catering companies are rushing spit-roasting equipment to the area to provide hot venison paninis for those in need. Mobile cell-phone charging trucks will be on hand over the next few days until full power is restored. Those outside Auckland who wish to help are encouraged to send gift vouchers for Hermes or Louis Vuitton, to speed the healing process through retail therapy.
Colette M
Just about to walk out of the doors of 246 onto Lorne Street in the city yesterday approximately 5pm, heard a smash and saw something raining down that looked like very large hail stones. It wasn't. Myself and another woman were a mere second away from having a pane of glass land on our heads. It had fallen from one of the high rise buildings onto the footpath. Phew!
Ant (Browns Bay)
Driving up Victoria Street in the city at 4.55 yesterday and my car was hit from a pain of fallen glass from a sixth floor apartment opposite the Sky Tower. Don't know how people waiting for the bus weren't hit, but my car received several dents & marks to the body work but didn't cut through the soft-top, thank God.
Malcolm (Mt Eden)
Last night many of the neighbours involuntarily swapped rubbish bins. The even numbered houses had their bins blown across the road to the odd numbered houses. The bins belonging to the odd numbered houses got blown over to the even numbered houses. In time I'm sure my rubbish bin will come back.
Kirsten
6.10 last night to 6.30 this morning we were without power. Our four-year-old freaked and then was quite bemused by the whole thing. He rang around the relatives to see if they had electricity and really enjoyed the candlelight. The ten-month-old just loved the candles and my husband and I thanked that we had foresight to have dinner earlier that night for some reason. Thank god for the fire. We have a pot belly stove and that kept us warm. Periodically my husband or I would throw a log on during the night to keep the embers burning. And it ensured we could heat our youngest son's bottle should need be. This morning our eldest was a little disappointed to have electricity and excited again. Great night aside from the fridge going.
Manly (Whangaparaoa)
There's nothing worse then enjoying a day on the mountain skiing and boarding to get a SOS text from Auckland. The neighbours shed was blown over the fence and through the master bedroom taking everything with it. Including a new computer. Have arrived home to what looks like a bomb has gone off in the upper story of the house. Thankfully there's another computer downstairs in the office.
Leah (Whangarei)
It was a novel experience sitting in the pub having a beer in the pitch black. The pub lost all their power and kicked us out at 7.30! We had no power at our house either, and New World ran out of candles, so we had to do a big search in the dark for the camping lantern. All in all, it was pretty fun.
Tania
Last night I went to pick my son up from work, I pulled into the car park, turned off my car and released my seatbelt when a sign on top of the Fishmart building was ripped off by the wind and sent hurtling down on to parked cars. The sign came straight down on to the first car, smashing the window and door pillar, showering the passenger in glass. The sign then proceeded to bounce off two more parked cars, before hitting my car on the driver's side. My driver's side is damaged all the way from front to back and the wing mirror was ripped off. The sign then bounced across my roof, smashed into my window screen on the passenger's side before bouncing between my car and the car next to me, ripping off my other wing mirror. The wind then picked the sign up again, smashing it into the car next to mine's window screen shattering it, and proceeding to skim across two more cars. I thank my lucky stars that I did not get out of my car straight away, as the sign would have taken my head off. My car has been written off, let the fun begin!
Tony Lee
That storm last night was great! It was probably one of the few times where we as a family sat down together and chatted with each other. Sitting around in candlelight, eating casserole made all day with the radio blaring out. Don't know why we never had more power cuts.
Margot
Looters should be shot. They are scum of the earth just like rapists and murderers.
Dark (Flat Bush)
I live in Flat Bush and out power was out from 7pm-6.30am today. Missed all my favourite programmes!
Jagjeet (Papatoetoe)
Very fast wind. My fence is broken and was black all night last night. Kids were enjoying candlelight dinner. Last night my wife was so excited about the candlelight dinner.
Phardre (Waiake Beach)
We live right on the beach and yes it is carnage with boats up on the beach, trees down and generally a mess. We had people driving to the beach during the worst of the winds last night and all through the night. What makes it worse though is all the rubberneckers in their cars slowing or stopping for a look. There is enough damage without having car accidents as well.
JH
Before sensationalising a roof being blown off an apartment building stop and consider why. This is yet another example of the low standard of building that has been allowed to blight our city built by people who only care about a short term profit. If you haven't already got a leaky building you've probably got a cheap light weight roof that might blow away in the next strong wind!
Rachel (Whangarei)
After being sent home by the council from the CBD, with most of downtown Whangarei closed to traffic last night, I was sitting watching TV when I heard a crack, didn't think anything of it until I got up to make a coffee hello! There are three huge trees in the garden and my washing line is gone! Bugger!
