New Zealand flood: Three dead and one missing after record rain in Auckland

Authorities said on Saturday three people had died and at least one was missing after record levels of rainfall battered New Zealand’s largest city, causing widespread disruption.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins flew to Auckland on a military plane after a state of emergency was declared in the region.

“Our priority is to ensure Aucklanders are safe, housed and have access to the essential services they need,” said Hipkins.

He said the city is facing a major cleanup and people should stay indoors if possible. He said a weather break could be temporary, with more heavy rain forecast.

“This is an unprecedented event in recent history,” Hipkins said.

Friday was the wettest day ever recorded in Auckland, according to weather bureaus, as the amount of rain normally expected to fall over the entire summer fell in one day. On Friday evening, more than 15 centimeters of rain fell in some places in just three hours.

The rain closed highways and poured into homes. Hundreds of people were stranded overnight at Auckland Airport after all flights were halted and parts of the terminal were flooded.

Police said they found a man’s body in a flooded culvert and another in a flooded parking lot. They said fire and emergency services found a third body after a landslide knocked down a house in the suburb of Remuera. One person remained missing after being swept away by flooding, police said.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said crews had responded to more than 700 incidents across the region and staff had answered more than 2,000 emergency calls.

Air New Zealand said it resumed domestic flights to and from Auckland on Saturday afternoon, but was unsure when international flights would resume.

“The flood has had a huge impact on our operations in Auckland,” said David Morgan, the airline’s Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer. “We are working to get customers to their final destination and get our crew and aircraft back to where they need to be. It may take a few days for everything to be back on track.”

In a series of updates on Twitter, Auckland Airport said people were able to leave the airport early Saturday to go to their homes or accommodation after hundreds spent the night in the terminal.

“It was a long and challenging night at Auckland Airport. We thank everyone for their continued patience,” the airport wrote.

“Unfortunately, due to previous flooding in the baggage hall, we are currently unable to return checked baggage to you,” the airport writes. “Your airline will make arrangements for the return at a later date.”