Auckland Mayor declares state of emergency amid heavy rains

Auckland, The Gulf Observer: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has declared a “precautionary” state of emergency in the region as heavy rain continues to thrash homes and businesses.

The mayor has also delegated his powers to his deputy, Desley Simpson, as he is currently across the ditch in Sydney for meetings on light rail.

Auckland is one of many parts of the country being hit by rain, with thunderstorms forecasted throughout the rest of the day.

“This morning, at my request, the deputy mayor and I received an urgent phone briefing from Auckland Emergency Management Civil Defence,” he said in a statement.

“After carefully considering the advice of the duty controller I have decided to declare a precautionary state of local emergency.

“The decision is based on the lessons we learnt from the Anniversary Auckland floods.”

He said emergency services were still coping with the current volume of call-outs.

“While I am assured that emergency services are coping with the volume of call outs at the moment, and that they do not require emergency powers, I consider it is necessary to communicate to the public that this is something to take seriously.”

News broke of the emergency declaration through a text Brown sent to RNZ at around 12.50pm. Official confirmation came from Auckland Civil Defence around 15 minutes later.

Earlier, Brown urged Aucklanders to keep away from flood waters and to open drains.

Brown is in Sydney for a meeting with Auckland Light Rail and an engineering firm but said he had been in regular contact with emergency management officials and the deputy mayor.

“There are reports of flooding in West and North Auckland,” his office said in a statement.

“Mayor Brown is urging residents to stay away from floodwaters and open drains, remain calm but vigilant and follow the advice of Auckland Emergency Management.”

He “urged” emergency management and Auckland Transport to provide clear and frequent communication.