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Homes are uninhabitable and cars pay for themselves after a devastating flash flood Sunday morning that swept through Plimmerton, north of Wellington, after a night of torrential rain.
As the water ran down the hill through storm drains, bringing with it rocks, wood and other debris, the drains quickly blocked and the water overflowed, opening a new path where it could.
At Cluny Rd, water rose 12 inches up the walls of roadside buildings, and one resident said he would not cross the street for fear of being dragged off his feet.
Up to 15 houses are uninhabitable, with 50 more affected, and State Highway 1 was closed for about two hours.
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The neighbors are getting used to this. A man had lived on Cluny Rd for 16 years and had witnessed three floods, all in the last six years. This was by far the worst.
Knowing the inevitable damage it would cause, he opened the main garage door and the back one and let the waterfall through.
MONIQUE FORD / Things
Rita Flaherty’s family, including the dog Teddy, are left with ankle-deep mud, silt and rocks, a water-filled cellar, and a river that blazes a new path in their driveway.
He, like many residents, blamed the blocked drains. “The council needs to do a pretty solid review of all of this.”
Rita Flaherty and her family, including a toddler and a small dog, had lived in their two-story home at the top of Cluny Rd for just a year.
On Sunday morning they had watched from their upstairs living room as the sewer under the driveway blocked, flooded their front yard and filled their basement with a meter of water.
Both cars were entrenched in the mud up to the wheels, one still flooded with water, and a powerful current was still running through the road. It had happened fast. “This used to be a driveway. Where did this water come from? “
MONIQUE FORD / Things
Residents of Firth St clean up after floodwater brought mud and debris down the hillside.
No reception at that end of the road, and their power turned off for safety, they were effectively cut off.
If the fire service could pump out their basement and the power could be turned back on, they could sleep there that night. Otherwise, they would stay with family or friends.
The MetService readings showed 86mm of rain fell in the 12 noon to 1pm Sunday on Battle Hill, next to Paekākāriki Hill Rd.
Nicola Robinson
Heavy rains caused flooding in Karehana Bay, Plimmerton.
During the same period, 50mm fell at Tawa, 67mm at Waikanae, 55mm at Porirua, 51mm at Paraparaumu, and 46mm at Levin. Mana Island, offshore Plimmerton, recorded 49mm.
Fire and Emergency said it received 24 triple-one calls and visited 65 flooded properties around Karehana Bay in Plimmerton.
Shift manager Chris Dalton said a mobile communications unit had been established in Plimmerton to speed up shipping, with four pump trucks in operation.
Supplied / NZTA
Heavy rains closed SH1 at Plimmerton for two hours.
Dalton said that about 15 houses in the region would likely be uninhabitable.
“The weather coincided with high tide, so the water had nowhere to go,” he said.
Fire Chief Carl Mills was on the scene. “We have never had floods, in my 25 years here, that has affected the living heights of the houses, that is a bit unexpected.”
On nearby Airlie Rd, residents Ian and Wendy Capewell had lived in the area for more than 50 years. Nor had they ever seen such a high flood.
MONIQUE FORD / Things
Wendy and Ian Capewell of Airlie Rd are settling damages to their home, including floodwater-soaked carpets and a muddy yard.
The couple were out of town Sunday morning when they received a call from their daughter. According to Ian, “She said, ‘You better go home, the water is about to enter the house.’
When they got home, around noon, the sun had risen but the water had flowed through all the rooms.
Wendy was saddened by the loss of her new garden. Brightly colored flowers were crushed and covered in silt, a heavy picnic bench had floated thirty feet, and a mysterious kettle had perched on a garden bed.
MONIQUE FORD / Things
Wendy Capewell’s newly planted garden looks a bit worse from wear and tear after the floodwater reached half a meter high in her garden.
A welfare point was set up at Plimmerton School Hall for those in need of food or temporary accommodation.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said there was a shortage of accommodation, so people should stay with friends and family if possible.
