Weather New Zealand: Chaos as heavy rainfall causes disaster
The state of emergency in parts of New Zealand continues as a five million dollar home is destroyed in a landslide.
As a state of emergency in parts of New Zealand continues — a five million dollar home has been spectacularly destroyed in a landslide.
A TikTok user, who publishes under the name @warriorlifstyle, took a video of expensive homes in Auckland that had been impacted by the weather.
One multimillion dollar home, which had partially collapsed, sat on the knife edge of a cliff that had collapsed due to the rain.
“Look at this absolute chaos,” the TikTok user said in the video as he drove by in a boat.
“That house is right on the edge there. I mean, there’s nothing there. It’s almost gone.”
He described the scenes as “unbelievable”.
“That’s a disaster man. That would be a red sticker, that house is gone. That’s a multimillion dollar home right on the edge.”
The TikTok user said the property was worth $5 million.
It wasn’t the only home that was impacted by the heavy rainfall.
Children, screaming and covered in mud, were caught in the rubble of at least three homes damaged in a Tauranga landslide overnight.
Torrential rain is hitting the North Island, causing devastating floods in Auckland and landslips across the Auckland region, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
A state of emergency is in place in Auckland and Waitomo.
A landslide crashed into homes in the Tauranga suburb of Maungatapu at midnight, NZ Herald reported.
Residents said they heard a massive rumble that sounded like thunder and then screams.
“It was very terrifying,” said neighbour Hayley Vincent.
“It was just awful and we were trying to do what we could to help. There were kids calling for help.”
Vincent went to the aid of the mother from the most extensively damaged home and said she was in shock.
“How does anyone survive that,” Vincent said.
Neighbours Brian and Tina Garden said they went outside to see the house in the middle of the street after hearing the slip.
Five kids crawled out of the rubble of the home, screaming and covered in mud.
“They were all covered in mud and one girl had cuts. I ran over and took them towels,” Tina said.
“It was horrendous.”
Most of the emergency services and neighbours came together at the Gardens’ home after the disaster.
One girl was offered a shower while he washed two kids off with the hose.
“It was amazing everyone was alive,” Brian said.
An ambulance came and took some of the children away for assessment.
Dave and Sue Harding’s home was damaged in the major slip.
Sue said today it looks like a war zone and they were relieved everyone made it out alive.
A fire incident support vehicle has arrived on the scene the properties are still cordoned off with a police officer standing guard.
Neighbour Charlie Song said he heard screaming in the middle of the night after being alerted by his dog.
“I came out and there were people standing on the street in the pouring rain. It was a shock.”
This story originally appeared on the NZ Herald and reproduced with permission
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