Good to hear cyclone didn't affect you too badly in your pocket of Auckland griffo99 and same for us really, expected to be wilder than it was and wind didn't really pick up too much until overnight Monday and through Tuesday, and then was without the rain and so no flooding and just some debris from our trees on ½ acre. Others didn't fare so well of course, sodden or unstable ground and swelling waterways and falling trees. Out west my nephew had to evacuate again as he did a fortnight ago and went to stay with my sister, his mum with no wet floors but roads were then flooded her area also in west. Auckland schools mostly closed as precaution Monday, Tuesday, travel by trains, boats and trains planes out and warnings to stay of roads unless necessary, businesses including supermarkets closing early etc.
Daughter and family in rural Whangarei have had 'insane' wind, her words, from Sunday through to Tuesday but subsided today Wednesday, however have woken to no power again. They lost power a couple of times for a few hours over Sunday night and early Monday and then from early Monday afternoon to early evening Tuesday and then again overnight. They're managing OK with that having had to deal with it in past, power packs for charging and camp stoves etc, though they lose water supply too as power needed to run a pump but get by with big flagons of water and a full bath to bucket water into cistern. There's a generator at in-laws across town that they can use if roads accessible to go out at all, so many trees and lines down their way and low lying ground flooded, school closed again for them today as no power.
Extended to National State of Emergency by Tuesday morning as slow moving cyclone made its way south and delivering wild conditions to other areas and road closures and evacuations.
Sorry to say Chrissie, Hawke's Bay have had a really rough couple of days,extensive flooding in region and concern for residents, hopefully all good with your family connection, communications difficult with cell phone towers down in places. We have family there too, Napier and Hastings, also Gisborne and the Coromandel where access has been further cut off with washed out roads, slips etc. Earthquake just west of cousin's place in Gisborne early Monday evening, a bit of extra anxiety but they just felt a light shaking, another north of Wellington this evening with a strong shake. The Civil Defence Emergency alerts on the phone are enough to make you jump, almost need an alert that they're coming through, though sort of getting used to them as had a few through Covid as well. Also a bit like when we tell people not to be alarmed if testing fire alarms where staff and public might get a fright … and they still do even with just a wee beep.
Harder hit areas are suffering with loss of power, water, roads, plus communications and supplies, plus more ongoing and long term affects of course. Many comparisons being made of the damage caused by a similar event with Cyclone Bola 35 years ago late February early March and particularly bad for those East Coast regions, and memories of that. Quite often the sub-tropical cyclones are down-graded before they reach NZ and we'll get a lashing of wind and rain or they'll take a deviation away from us.
Has been sunny with just gentle winds today, lots of cancellations for some events over these past couple of weeks and for the next week or so, Ed Sheeran concerts went ahead in Auckland Friday and Saturday nights. Princess Anne is in NZ on brief visit atm, schedule slightly rearranged. We're still to catch up with family in the north, planning for past 3 Sundays have been a no go.
