Homes evacuated after a flood; Wellington main road partially reopened

Some houses in Plimmerton, Porirua have been evacuated after heavy rains hit the region, closing the main road leading out of Wellington.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said work was underway to pump water out of the buildings.

The New Zealand Transportation Agency (NZTA) previously warned motorists to delay their journey after State Highway 1, between Plimmerton and Paekakariki, was completely closed by flooding.

At 12:45 p.m. M., One lane had been reopened in both directions, but traffic was still jammed and motorists were asked to stay off the roads if possible.

Paekakariki Hill Rd and Grays Rd remain closed.

Members of the public took to the NZTA Twitter page Sunday morning to warn of slow traffic caused by the flooding.

“Sitting just before Paekakariki heading south, just moving forward. People turn around,” said a woman.

Another person said they hadn’t moved in 10 minutes.

The region was hit by heavy and constant rains overnight and for much of the morning.

An NZTA spokeswoman said around 11:30 a.m. M., The floods seemed to be receding because the rain had stopped.

As of noon, Fire and Emergency NZ had received about 20 calls regarding the flooding in the Plimmerton area.

A spokesman said these were calls for general assistance: “flooding on property, flooding outside.”

He said Fenz responded to 16 calls and six turned over to the local council and police.

He said Plimmerton was “a small community, so a lot of people come to the fire station to report their calls as well.”

A unit of command had been created and localized resources were being dispatched.

Metservice meteorologist Andy Best said there had been a “dramatic” amount of rain in the area, particularly on the Kapiti coast.

“Places like Levin, in just six hours, have seen around 40 millimeters of rain.”

Paraparaumu had 45mm and Waikanae had 59mm of rain in the six hours to 11am, Best said.

But there was good news: “the ruts that brought that … have actually started to clear.”

Best said Wellington City was currently dry and would continue down the coast.

“So we are seeing a big improvement in conditions this afternoon and into the evening.”

“All the winds will go out and give the places affected by this rain a chance to dry up.”

However, Best said the weather radar had “another dramatic feature” in the country tomorrow.

He said there could be “very strong, possibly severe gales”, southerly winds and rain for the lower North Island and the Marlborough Sounds.

“A very cold shift to the south occurs tomorrow night and it will be quite dramatic as you move through the capital.”

– With Jake McKee Cagney