To those who have recently experienced powercuts and storm damage, my thoughts are with you.
Auckland experienced hurricane windgusts of up to 140km/h in the city which peaked at 213 km/h at Manukau heads on Tuesday night. At the storms peak 182,000 properties were without power as Vector experienced extensive damage to its network.
My own home was without power for a few hours, had roof damage and ended up with outdoor furniture we didn’t own. However this was significantly better than many parts of Auckland who over 36 hours later are still without power and hot water.
Tonight we are set for more bad weather. Please check on neighbours and loved ones. Ensure you are well stocked with batteries, candles, have access to a radio and secure all outdoor furniture. For those who cannot call on family or friends for help, they can contact Auckland Emergency Management on 0800222200 for advice and assistance
If your life is at risk please phone 111
Many people think power outages is Auckland Councils responsibility but power to homes and businesses is the responsibility of Vector. They have had over 100 crew out throughout the region working 24 hours to restore power and fix damage and even called in others from outside the region to assist. I’m sure you along with me thank them for the efforts. However, there are a number of questions I’ll be following up with Vector as we seem to be having ‘power losses’ more frequently. Questions include -What is the main reason for the outages? Trees v power lines or aged infrastructure? What is the strategy for undergrounding powerlines and what is your reasoning behind prioritisation of locations. Why did your website and mobile app fail during this time of ‘crisis’ for many Aucklanders? I’ll keep you posted re their response.
Council call volumes, with requests to respond to downed trees or issues relating to the storm, have returned to normal ‘business as usual’ levels. Council has had three crews of arborists out removing felled trees throughout the storm response. Arborists and maintenance teams will continue to work on clean-up over the next few days.
Public transport services have returned to normal, however power outages are affecting lighting at some train stations and some traffic signals. Generator power is in place where possible.
Power outage tips
· Throw away any frozen food that has been exposed to temperatures above 4°C for two hours or more or that has an unusual odour, colour or texture. When in doubt, throw it out.
· If food in the freezer is colder than 4°C and has ice crystals on it, you can refreeze it.
· Contact your GP if you’re concerned about medications having spoiled.
· Restock your emergency kit with fresh batteries, canned foods and other supplies.
· Households that require power to pump water from tanks or to operate septic systems may need special assistance.
· Conserve your hot water.
I do hope tonight isn’t too bad as we weather the storm together
Kind regards
Desley