Auckland floods: 200 lifts broken leaving residents stranded, beaches unsafe

More flooding in Auckland has left high-rise residents isolated and beaches closed off as rescuers detailed a miraculous escape.

Auckland’s latest round of heavy rain has left people stranded in their apartments and others in evacuation centres because of flooding and landslides.

More than 200 lifts are not working across the city leaving residents, including the elderly, isolated at the top of apartment buildings, Mayor Wayne Brown said.

Mr Brown said communities were looking after those stuck due to broken lifts.

A large slip on the cliffs below Parnell make houses unsafe in Auckland. Picture: Getty Images

Auckland Emergency Management revealed more than 30 roads in the region remain closed due to damage and all beaches in the region were deemed unsafe for swimming due to contaminated floodwaters.

Close to 200 buildings or properties are unsafe to live in.

A house on Shore Rd in Remuera sits above a slip in Auckland. Picture: Getty Images

It comes as a new heavy rain watch has been issued for the Hunua Ranges and Coromandel Peninsula from noon Thursday to 6am Friday.

Meanwhile rescuers revealed an elderly couple is lucky to be alive after a massive cliff landslide destroyed a beach house.

A car makes its way on a road damaged by a flash flood after heavy rain on the outskirts of Auckland. Picture: AFP

“The elderly lady, she was trapped in the rubble and was trapped for quite some time but there were some beams and parts of the structure that were protecting her in a way as well from further injury … she was stuck I think from her legs,” said Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter critical flight paramedic Marcel Driessen, the NZ Herald reports.

Damage to a road after flash flooding in Auckland. Picture: AFP

“There was a chap that was just covered and cut, some bruises and was pretty pale and it looked like he’d been through the wringer.”

Up to 60mm of rain fell over two hours in parts of Auckland on Wednesday morning as schools across the city shut down until February 7. That’s a month’s worth of rain pummelled Auckland in just 24 hours.

Flooding continues to block roads in Kaipara Flats in Auckland's. Picture: Getty Images

Four people died in last Friday’s storm which caused road closures, power cuts and a train derailment. That weather event saw the city cop nearly an entire summer’s worth of rain in just hours. A record 249mm of rain fell over 24 hours in Auckland, smashing the previous record of 161mm.

Current rain radar:

The heaviest of the rain has now passed through Northland and Auckland. There is still a risk of a heavy shower or two for Auckland this morning.

Coromandel and Bay of Plenty still under RED warning for heavy rain today (Wed)https://t.co/prKU7NLNY1 pic.twitter.com/KlOvl0kodK

— MetService (@MetService) January 31, 2023

A property in Remuera where an a man was found dead after a landslide hit his house. Picture: Getty images

As Auckland faced a second major deluge with new flooding and slips, the city’s mayor Wayne Brown renewed his attack on the news media, repeating the line “they are drongos.”

Mr Brown hasn’t been giving media interviews despite parts of the city deep in water but told the New Zealand Herald, “I don’t need to talk to anybody, I’m in (office)”.

This emergency response is a coordinated effort.
Numerous agencies, emergency services, and community groups have been working around the clock to ensure that evacuation centres are ready for tonight, in case they are needed. pic.twitter.com/BJjG6xMBM7

— Mayor of Auckland (@MayorAuckland) January 31, 2023

Even before the State of Emergency was declared on Friday night, Mr Brown had been criticised for not giving media interviews and not being accountable to public scrutiny.

After criticism on Saturday, Mr Brown spent several days visiting recovery efforts but did not tell the media in advance where he would be.

A slip on Scenic Drive in Titirangi has affected water pipes cutting off water to many homes in the area in Auckland, New Zealand. Picture: Getty Images

‘CRAZY’ BUS DRIVER DRIVES THROUGH FLOODS

An Auckland bus driver has been labelled “crazy” after he drove through one of the worst hit areas on Wednesday in Onehunga.

The video, shared by Maungakiekie Tamaki Local Board member Debbie Burrows, shows the bus making its way down past cars submerged by the floods.

Passengers can be seen standing inside the bus to escape water flowing through as the driver sits barely above the level of the wave pushed out by his near-amphibious vehicle.

“Why was that bus driver driving into that water?” one asked.

“All that driver has done is put all the passengers’ lives at risk.”

“That bus driver should be fired,” another wrote.

“Putting people at risk driving through that flooded piece of road. Crazy.”

The route taken by the driver was later closed by Auckland Transport.

Originally published as Auckland floods: 200 lifts broken leaving residents stranded, beaches unsafe