14 Apr 2018

More power cuts in Auckland after stormy night

12:17 pm on 14 April 2018

More people have been without power in Auckland this morning, with trees coming down overnight in several parts of the city.

A tree at One Tree Hill that was brought down by the storm.

A tree at One Tree Hill that was brought down by the storm. Photo: RNZ / Tom Furley

Areas affected included the North Shore and parts of south and west Auckland.

Vector said overloading also affected a substation last night, temporarily cutting power to parts of west Auckland.

Crews were continuing to work on restoring power in affected areas.

The lines company said 5000 homes remained without power after Tuesday night's storm.

One of those affected is Moira Lawler's 87-year-old mother Cicelie who lives in the Auckland suburb of Royal Oak.

Ms Lawler said if she had been told that her mother would be without power for so long they would have moved to her somewhere else.

"It's just the not knowing, we kept thinking it would be on tomorrow but then it's not so it's hard to make plans, with mum having memory loss it's best for her to be in her own home.

"It's very confusing for her, we have to take her out to eat so it's very stressful and tiring for her," she said.

Ms Lawler said they have had no communication from Vector so she called this morning to put her mother on the priority list.

"I understand this a massive event and they are doing the best they can but the bigger question for me is what's happened to the infrastructure, how can it get this bad in Auckland?

"When I called Vector this morning they said the priority list is really long and that they couldn't guarantee when the power will come back on."

"Mum had a fall last night, there are no lights and she had come down to try make a cup of tea.

"We are lucky we are staying with mum so we can look after her."

Cicelie Lawler, who has lived at her Royal Oak home for about 20 years, said she has never had the power out for so long.

"Everything that I rely on like the kettle and the TV are gone, it's annoying I can't watch the Commonwealth Games, it's all been a nightmare.

"The truth of the matter is had I been on my own I wouldn't be able to manage, it would have just been me in the dark with my walking stick."

Meanwhile, arborists cleaning up the thousands of trees that came down in the storm are also checking the safety of those left standing.

Auckland Council said almost every street in the city had some degree of tree damage after Tuesday night's storm, with many trees blocking roads or taking out powerlines, buildings or fences.

The council's head of operational management, Agnes McCormack, said work would go around the clock until at least Monday to fell dangerous or troublesome trees.

While they were at each job, contractors would do a visual inspection to see if any of the other trees nearby could be dangerous, she said.

They were also trying to prioritise cutting down dangerous trees or those causing power cuts before going back to clear the rest, Ms McCormack said,

In most case contractors would leave the cut branches and trunks because once they have made a tree safe they move onto the next one.

They would then be cleared and turned in to mulch next week, she said.

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