Wild weather tipped to

Insurers inundated as hundreds try to cope with damage

Stormy weather pelting the country with heavy rain and wild winds is not expected to ease until tomorrow. Thousands of Aucklanders caught in the high winds, which reached up to 145km/h on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, were still in the dark last night, and slips in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and the Bay of Plenty were causing problems for motorists.

Forecasters said the wild weather, which brought down trees, caused flooding and damaged properties around the country, had left behind a rain band over the East Coast of the North Island. This would weaken and shift north tomorrow.

More than 700 people had contacted their insurers about stormrelated repairs yesterday afternoon.

Before 3pm, IAG New Zealand had had more than 600 claims from customers insured with AMI and State.

The head of corporate affairs for IAG, Craig Dowling, said half the claims were from Auckland and Northland. About 300 claims from the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and the Waikato coast had also come in, he said.

Most of those claims were for wind-related damage, with some reports of flooding, he said. “We also received some claims for flooding made in North Canterbury, with some properties significantly impacted.

“Extra staff were called in to cope with the increase of claims, and many were working overtime.”

Additional assessors, tradesmen, Auckland customers without power at the height of the storm Wind gusts recorded:

at Tiritiri Lighthouse

at Whangaparaoa

on Auckland Harbour Bridge incidents attended by emergency services in Auckland City after midnight yesterday. of rain recorded at Puhipuhi, Northland, in the 48 hours on Monday and Tuesday. of rain recorded in Gisborne Ranges in the 24 hours to 7pm yesterday.

1. and flood and drying experts had been brought in after the storm.

More than 100 insurance claims had been lodged with AA Insurance for damage to roofs, windows and fences. The company urged people to make claims from the heavy rain and gale-force winds as soon as possible.

Most claims were from Auckland, with a few relating to Tuesday’s flood- ing in Canterbury. Further claims were expected as severe weather warnings remained in place for the east of the North Island, including Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.

AA head of customer relations Suzanne Wolton said it was too early to estimate the cost of damage.

Police said slips and surface flooding closed several roads in Western Bay of Plenty. State Highway 29 was flooded and impassable at Ohauiti Rd and Oropi Rd.

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence emergency management group controller Clinton Naude said his team had received reports of surface flooding and some power outages, but had not seen cause to activate the local Civil Defence Operations Centre.

SH29 across the Kaimai Ranges was blocked by mud and vegetation to a depth of about 1.5 metres. Police said drivers should avoid the road until contractors could clear the slip.

Gisborne Civil Defence controller Peter Higgs said with about a dozen roads closed in the district last night and a major slip at Devil’s Elbow south of Wairoa, motorists should check road conditions before driving.

The Hikuwai River north of Tolaga Bay was expected to reach 10m last night. Evacuations were likely when the river reached 12m.

The Gisborne Civil Defence emergency management team was also keeping a close eye on the Waimata River in the city.

MetService forecaster Leigh Matheson said 300mm of rain was expected for the Gisborne ranges, and 150mm elsewhere in the Gisborne district. Further significant rain was also likely in parts of Bay of Plenty, with 100mm to 200mm, she said.

“Those places are getting pretty steady and heavy rain.”

Lesser amounts of rain were likely in eastern Taihape, the ranges of Wairarapa, eastern Marlborough and northwest Nelson.

In the Tararua Range, 70mm to 100mm of rain was expected to fall in the 18 hours to 3am today.

The rain would continue today for eastern parts of the North Island until evening, when it shifts north and dies away.

Tomorrow would be wet for Auckland and Northland as the weakened rain band moved north.

Most of the country would enjoy a fine weekend, Ms Matheson said.

Meanwhile, 9600 customers in Auckland were still without power at 9.30pm last night, down from the 40,000 earlier in the day, lines company Vector said.