New Zealand Declares Emergency in Capital After It Was Battered by Torrential Rain
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Wellington and surrounding regions in New Zealand were placed under a state of emergency due to heavy rains causing flash flooding and landslides, resulting in cars being swept away, over 100 schools closing, and roads and homes being buried.
- Some areas experienced more than three inches of rain within an hour, prompting authorities to order evacuations and urge residents in low-lying areas to relocate temporarily; the state of emergency was lifted in some locations by Tuesday.
- No fatalities have been reported, but one man is missing after floodwaters and debris struck his property; Greater Wellington, home to over half a million people, was heavily affected.
- The heaviest rainfall had subsided by Tuesday morning, though MetService warned that saturated soils increase the risk of landslides and local flooding, with more wet weather expected in the coming days.
- Significant damage occurred to facilities such as the South Wellington Montessori School, where about three feet of water destroyed the preschool, causing disruption as staff seek temporary locations to continue operations.
