Cyclone Gabrielle: Family of five trapped after trees fall
Tuesday, 14 February 2023
A family of five can’t leave their home after two pine trees fell down during Cyclone Gabrielle on Tuesday morning.
The entire country is in a state of emergency as the cyclone wreaks havoc up and down Aotearoa.
Around 3.40am, Rochelle Hand, her husband and three children woke to the sound of the two trees coming down, one on top of her husband’s work van.
The trees brought down the power lines with them, although the Carter Rd household – in Oratia, in Auckland’s Waitākere Ranges – had been without power since 9pm on Monday.
**READ MORE:
* Cyclone Gabrielle: What you need to know in your region
* Gisborne a communications dead zone as Cyclone Gabrielle hits
* Live: State of national emergency declared Gabrielle smashes NZ
**
Vector told her they wouldn’t be reconnected for at least a week because of how badly damaged the lines were, Hand said.
“All of our neighbours can get out and they’re fine but we’re trapped,” Hand said.
“We’ve got a side entrance, so our neighbours have walked up to check we’re okay, but authority-wise, no one has been up.”
Hand has managed to talk to Vector and Auckland Council about the situation.
The family also have friends staying with them whose flights home to Australia on February 13 were cancelled due to the weather.
Her three children - aged 6, 4 and 3 – have been scared of the banging and noises all through the night.
“We just kept reassuring them, told them they were safe and warm.”
The family doesn’t yet have a plan for how they’ll manage without electricity for an entire week.
She thinks they might be able to get to her parents’ place on foot, if they have power restored sooner than they do.
Meanwhile in nearby Muriwai, some 200 residents who had to evacuate their homes sheltered in the Muriwai Surf Club on Monday night.
The Defence Force is helping people get to safety, , Auckland Emergency Management has said.
A house collapsed at around 10pm last night on Motutara Road, Muriwai, as Fire and Emergency was evacuating residents. One Fire and Emergency officer is currently unaccounted for.
West Auckland has had significant road damage overnight. Piha, Muriwai and Karekare have no road access at all, Auckland Transport said.
General Manager of safety Stacey van der Putten said West Auckland was subjected to slips, fallen trees and power lines, and flash flooding during Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
There were more than 500 road maintenance contractors working to assess damage, clear roads and restore access quickly, she said.
“The conditions in West Auckland overnight were so severe that one of our roading crews had to seek emergency shelter after their vehicle was hit by a landslip in Karekare,” van der Putten said.
The crew made it to shelter but everyone was stood down until morning.
Today the priority is to restore road access, especially to Piha, Muriwai and Karekare.
There are about 30 fully closed roads in Auckland, and dozens more partially closed.
Auckland Transport wants people to stay home if possible.
Most ferry services are cancelled due to rough conditions at the harbour, but bus services are largely still running, with cancellations, delays and detours in place where the routes are affected by road closures.
Watercare has told Muriwai residents to “reduce your water use immediately” as treatment plans have been affected by power outages, and road closures are delaying access for crews.
“Continue to use water for drinking and hand washing purposes, but do not use your washing machine or dishwasher,” Watercare said.
Watercare said that because of this, local water storage reservoirs are running low.