Podcasts about auckland emergency management

General manager of Auckland Emergency Management, Adam Maggs talks to Mihingarangi Forbes about clean-up efforts. 

For more on the effects of the Ex-Tropical Cyclone Tam, Auckland Emergency Management general manager, Adam Maggs spoke to Corin Dann.

Most of Auckland's tsunami warning sirens will be deactivated and replaced by an Emergency Mobile Alert system. Forty-two sirens across the Rodney, Albany and Waitakere Wards will be deactivated from December 1 and replaced by alerts being automatically sent to mobile phones. Auckland Emergency Management says the sirens are prone to vandalism and theft. Auckland Emergency Management head of response & recovery John Cranfield spoke to Corin Dann.

Thieves are targetting Auckland's Tsunami sirens, despite they fact they apparently cannot be modified to play music. But it is leaving some areas without an early warning system, if disaster is looming. Adam Maggs from Auckland Emergency Management talks to Lisa Owen.

Tsunami sirens are still being stolen in Auckland. Auckland Council has revealed 21 siren units have been stolen from sites across the city since the last update in October. That brings the total number of thefts to 52 since May last year, with all newly reported thefts reported to Police. It's suspected the units are being used for 'siren battles'. Sirening is the subculture that sees music played through loudspeakers attached to bicycles and cars, however it comes out as loud treble. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Sam Johnson, Projects Director at Still joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! National's Chris Luxon has ruled out any governing deal with Te Pāti Māori after the election, and won't enter an arrangement with the party, even if it was National's sole route into Government. Why has it taken National so long to officially announce this? Did National overthink this statement? Was it premature of Auckland Emergency Management to declare a state of emergency yesterday? At what point do the warnings become a boy-who-cried-wolf situation? Otago Boys High is in trouble for preventing students from attending their Y13 formal if they only purchase single tickets- they must bring a partner. Is this necessary? Should they just charge more for tickets? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The extreme weather system that is continuing to affect the North Island caused havoc throughout Tamaki Makaurau on Tuesday. The state of emergency declared in Auckland drew stark contrasts to the Auckland anniversary floods in January and Cyclone Gabrielle in February.  Auckland Emergency Management, Civil Defence and Auckland Council sprung into action as the rains poured down throughout the city, with heavy rain warnings issued in north and west Auckland.  As extreme weather events appear to become more frequent, do Aucklanders and management agencies need to reconsider how they react and deal with these situations? To receive input and analysis, whilst also determining how well agencies have responded to the recent weather, Andre Fa'aoso spoke with Doctor Lauren Vinnell, Lecturer of Emergency Management at Massey University.

Auckland is still in a local state of emergency after heavy rain and thunderstorms battered the city yesterday. The weather caused gridlock for traffic across the city as people tried to get home once the state of emergency was declared. No more heavy rain is forecast today, but gusty winds up to 80 kilometres an hour are. Auckland Emergency Management warned at a media conference earlier this may affect the harbour bridge. Acting Mayor Desley Simpson spent most of her night at the Auckland Emergency Management Coordination centre. [picture id="4L98H9J_MicrosoftTeams_image_png" crop="16x10" layout="full"] She says conversations need to be had with Auckland Transport about yesterday's traffic issues. Simpson spoke to Corin Dann.

Civil Defence is opening its doors to people affected by heavy rain in Auckland, which is under a regional State of Emergency. It's opened Civil Defence Centres at Albany and Massey and there are community emergency hubs at Kumeu, Warkworth, Wellsford and Waiheke Island. Roads are closed across Auckland in Albany, Wainui, Manly, Mangere, Hillsborough, Mount Wellington, Coatesville and Warkworth. Auckland Emergency Management's Rachel Kelleher says the flooding has badly affected public transport. "Public transport, buses are out driving on the same roads as cars and people will be seeing there is a lot of disruption as a result of that surface flooding." AT says trains are resuming trips on the Western and Southern lines, but running slower. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Emergency Management deputy controller Rachel Kelleher joined Kerre Woodham to provide an update for residents following Tuesday's deluge and flooding. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Emergency Management is urging Aucklanders to keep up to date with weather forecasts as an atmospheric river makes its presence felt. 25 millimetres of rain fell overnight, half of it between three thirty and five thirty. It is forecast to keep raining today. Rachel Kelleher is the Duty Controller for Auckland Emergency Management.

In the wake of an independent report which showed Auckland's council wasn't ready for the scale of the anniversary weekend flooding event, emails and other communication released to RNZ illustrate the disorganisation behind the scenes. Nearly 1000 pages detail conversations involving mayor Wayne Brown and councillors, senior staff within council, and Auckland Emergency Management. Ben Strang has been going through the emails.

A highly critical report into the Auckland Anniversary weekend's devastating flood has highlighted multiple failings in the Auckland Council response, from the Mayor down.  An independent review, headed by former Police Commissioner, Mike Bush found the council's emergency management system was not prepared for an event of the magnitude and speed of the storm. The lack of preparedness was known to key council decision makers in advance, but at the time of the flood it was a work in progress. Senior leaders under-estimated the need to be visible and communicate with the public and the council's emergency management team lacked command, crisis leadership skills and operational experience. The report says the council should have declared a state of emergency sooner. Auckland Council Emergency Management and Civil Defence Committee chair and Howick councillor Sharon Stewart spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Morning Report asked key players onto the programme this morning - Auckland mayor Wayne Brown, Auckland deputy mayor Desley Simpson, Auckland Council chief executive Jim Stabback, Minister for Auckland Michael Wood, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty, and Auckland Emergency Management - all declined to front.   

The review of the Auckland Council's flood response makes for some uncomfortable reading. It says there was a system failure, communications failures and a lack of visible leadership. It gives 17 recommendations like a separate review of Auckland Emergency Management's prevention, a better IT communications system and better outreach to community groups. Maungakiekie-Tāmaki ward councillor Josephine Bartley told Tim Dower there were key communications issues. She says when addressing those, you need to start at the top with figures like the Mayor and council CEO. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Mike Munroe, former Labour Chief of Staff and current Director at Mike Munro Communications and Ben Thomas from Capital NZ joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: A damning review has confirmed that mayor Wayne Brown, Auckland Council, and Auckland's emergency management system were not properly prepared for the January floods- how surprised are we by this verdict? Do we have confidence that the Council and the mayor will learn from this review? 17,000 street lamps are being replaced in Wellington, as 7 have fallen down already and a further 161 have drooped. These falling street lamps have the potential to cause serious injury or death, and Wellington City Council had forgotten to take wind into account. How concerning is this? A new report has confirmed that 45 percent of New Zealand's rivers are now unswimmable and over two-thirds of monitored groundwater sites have failed drinking water standards. How infuriating is it that our nation has yet to make any progress on the state of our water quality? Does the Santa Parade have to move away from Queen Street after all these years? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report out today on the response to Auckland's Anniversary Weekend floods is critical of Council leaders, mayor Wayne Brown, and the city's emergency management systems. The independent panel led by former Police Commissioner Mike Bush, has found the Council was unprepared for the flooding's magnitude and speed. It also notes Council already knew about gaps in preparedness as far back as 2016. Bush says key Council leaders didn't appreciate the importance of visible leadership and communications. "This was a really fast-moving, rapid, unpredicted event. But the response needed to be better, and that's what our report is focused on." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aucklanders that are still out of their homes could be waiting years before they can safely live in them again. Hundreds of furious Muriwai residents were left frustrated at a meeting with council staff yesterday, because they couldn't say when they could return. The residents have been out for three weeks already. Auckland Council Director of Regulatory Services Craig Hobbs told Heather du-Plessis Allan that it could be a matter of months before they can return, or a wait of up to two years to make sure it's safe. Auckland Emergency Management says it's transitioning from response to recovery, as the National State of Emergency ends for the city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aucklanders that are still out of their homes could be waiting years before they can safely live in them again. Hundreds of furious Muriwai residents were left frustrated at a meeting with council staff yesterday, because they couldn't say when they could return. The residents have been out for three weeks already. Auckland Council director of regulatory services Craig Hobbs told Heather du-Plessis Allan that it could be a matter of months before they can return, or a wait of up to two years to make sure it's safe. Auckland Emergency Management says it's transitioning from response to recovery, as the National State of Emergency ends for the city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Emergency Management has warned of severe thunderstorms over the northern part of the region on Friday afternoon, bringing possible flash flooding or slips. Duty Controller Rachel Kelleher joins Lisa Owen with the latest details.

Emergency Alerts have been issued as a precaution for parts of Auckland. Fire and Emergency helped rescue multiple cars trapped in floodwater in Dairy Flat using a boat, and all persons are now accounted for. An Emergency Alert has been issued for residents of Rodney, Helensville, Upper Harbour, Te Atatu and Henderson Valley. An alert has also been sent for residents of Bethells Beach, Piha, Karekare and Muriwai. People in those areas should avoid any unnecessary travel and shelter in place and gather essentials to evacuate if necessary. Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Adam Maggs says that there's still saturated land around the region. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Emergency Management says instability of the ground around homes in Muriwai and Piha is still of serious concern. Planning is underway to allow some people to briefly return to red-stickered homes in the two suburbs to grab valuable items and essentials. But for those in Domain Road in Muriwai, there is no possibility of safe access at the moment due to the nature of the slips. Auckland Emergency Management controller Adam Maggs spoke to Guyon Espiner.  

About 20 homes were evacuated in Piha last night due to land instability, and an exclusion zone is in place for a large part of Muriwai. For safety reasons, Auckland Emergency Management has also temporarily closed five regional parks in the Auckland region. Joining us now is Auckland Emergency Management Controller Adam Maggs.

Fire and Emergency responded to two two collapsed houses with people trapped inside in Muruwai . Two people are now in hospital.  In Auckland last night around 100 people were evacuated in Mt Eden amid fears a 30-metre-high historical tower would collapse. In the West Auckland suburb of Muriwai, residents in Motutara and Domain Roads were evacuated to the local Surf Life Saving Club.  Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Adam Maggs spoke to Kim Hill.

Residents in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, are hunkering down at home as they brace for heavy rain, flooding and gale-force winds from Cyclone Gabrielle. People in the city and its surrounding areas were asked to stay home for all but essential trips as train services were cancelled, flights suspended, and libraries and most schools closed. Rachel Kelleher, deputy controller of Auckland Emergency Management, says they expect the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle to get, unfortunately, worse before they get better. The cyclone comes two weeks after a record-breaking storm swamped Auckland and killed four people.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4090160/advertisement

Authorities have warned Cyclone Gabrielle will be an unprecedented and dangerous weather event spanning over today and tomorrow for across the upper North Island. Auckland Emergency Management has just held a briefing this morning Duty controller Rachel Kelleher spoke to Kim Hill.  

The cyclone could have different effects on different regions. Auckland Emergency Management Duty Controller Rachel Kelleher told Mike Hosking that it's an evolving situation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Rachel Kelleher talks to Lisa Owen.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and Emergency Management are warning Aucklanders to prepare for Cyclone Gabrielle.  The tropical storm is expected to hit Northland from Sunday and bring strong gales, heavy rain and big waves to the upper North Island on Monday and Tuesday.   Hundreds of residents across the region are displaced and the clean up is ongoing following the floods two weeks ago.  Auckland Emergency Management Deputy Controller Rachel Kelleher spoke to Māni Dunlop.  

Many Aucklanders are welcoming the news of an independent review of the response to the first hours of the flood emergency. Mayor Wayne Brown announced former police commissioner Mike Bush will lead the review. Felix Walton reports.

The cleanup continues after a devastating week of rain in Tāmaki Makaurau. Authorities are still warning people to stay out of the water for health reasons, and a rāhui remains in placed in the inner Waitematā Harbour. As of the latest numbers, 261 buildings in Auckland had been red-stickered, and 1,478 have been yellow-stickered. Rachel Kelleher is the Deputy Controller for Auckland Emergency Management, and she spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Rachel Kelleher spoke to Lisa Owen about why the state of emergency was extended in Auckland for a further week.

Aucklanders are being urged to be vigilant ahead of rain tonight that could be heavy for some but completely bypass other areas. Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel and Waikato have severe thunderstorm watches in place until 10pm Thursday. Emegency Management Deputy Controller Rachel Kelleher says the heavy rain would be localised, but residents need to be prepared.  

A week after Auckland's record breaking floods, authorities still have no idea how many people have now been made homeless. Just under 650 have so far asked Auckland Emergency Management for help to find somewhere to live but there will be be many more who have made their own arrangements and are relying on friends and family. Rowan Quinn reports. Morning Report approached the Housing Minister, Social Development Minister, The Auckland Minister and MBIE, who all declined to talk about finding homes for those who have lost everything.

Rachel Kelleher from Auckland Emergency Management Duty Controller talks to Lisa Owen about the damage across Auckland after the heavy rain and floods.

While Aucklanders enjoyed a brief reprieve from the rain yesterday, flood-damaged rubbish continues to pile up on the streets - posing a potential health hazard. The Air Force has flown over the city to get a clearer idea of where the waste is. Auckland Emergency Management is putting together a waste management plan. But as Jonty Dine reports many residents are overwhelmed about the task ahead.  

Heavy rain has fallen across Auckland this morning causing flooding, closing roads and after passing through Northland overnight.  The advice from Auckland Emergency Management to Aucklanders is for people to act immediately if they see rising water. They say anyone who sees rising water should not wait for official warnings.  They should evacuate to high ground and stay away from floodwater.   A heavy red rain warning is in place until 8 this morning for Orewa North and in Auckland an orange warning is in place until 10am.  Warnings across the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel will remain active throughout the day.  Rayssa Almeida spoke to Kim Hill from Parnell and Jeremy Rees spoke to Corin Dann from Sandringham.

The advice from Auckland Emergency Management to Aucklanders is for people to act immediately if they see rising water, due to how quickly flooding can happen.  They say anyone who sees rising water should not wait for official warnings.  They should evacuate to high ground and stay away from floodwater.   Evacuation Centres are available to those who need somewhere to shelter. The agency also has directed Aucklanders not to travel unless necessary and to check road conditions before travelling if travel cannot be avoided.  And the numbers to call for help: 111 in case of emergency Auckland Emergency Management - 0800 22 22 00 Waka Kotahi urges road travellers to check conditions on their journey planner website - www.journey.nzta.govt.nz The Ministry of Social Development has set up a support line - 0800 400 100 - which is open from 8am.  

Auckland emergency management says the worst of the weather is moving south, but the region isn't out of the woods yet. Duty Controller Rachel Kelleher told Morning Report there has been some localised flooding but the scale is far less Friday's deluge. The group gave a media conference at 8am on Wednesday.  

Aucklanders are being warned to remain alert for ongoing dangers, as this morning's heavy rain starts to ease. Red and Orange Heavy Rain Warnings remain in effect for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula, the Bay of Plenty, and the northern Gisborne District. Auckland and Northland remain in a state of emergency, with emergency services receiving dozens of calls for assistance. The Northern Motorway between Esmonde and Northcote has reopened following flooding, but Western train lines won't be running until further notice. Auckland Emergency Management Duty Controller Rachel Kelleher says the situation has ramped up in the past few hours. She says there is surface flooding, downed trees and road closures across the city, and people should avoid driving if they can. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Emergency Management Agency issued the following information regarding the forecast heavy rain. Red Weather warnings,  which are the most severe warnings, are in place for Northland, North Auckland and Coromandel. This may cause further flooding, slips and damage People should stay up to date with the forecasts from MetService and continue to follow the advice of civil defence and emergency services If you have evacuated, please stay where you are until you are given the all-clear to go home Stay away from floodwater. Always assume that all flood water is potentially contaminated and ensure hands, clothes and property are thoroughly cleaned after contact with flood waters It is important to clean and dry your house and everything in it. Do not eat garden produce if the soil has been flooded Throw away all food and drinking water that has come in contact with floodwater, including things stored in containers Information about where to get help can be found on the Civil Defence website and from Auckland Emergency Management

There is so much to unpack from the great Auckland anniversary weekend flood and organisational screw up that I'm just going to detail a few points. Firstly that the storm was unexpected and unforecasted. Well, it was and it wasn't. All Spring we were told that La Nina was into its third successive cycle. The implication of that was a very warm, wet, and windy summer. Well that sure came true. Some have immediately jumped onto the storm as evidence of climate change. Except this weather cycle was already predicted and has happened many times before. Climate change may be adding to the impact of La Nina, but that's a very difficult calculation to make and certainly not one that should be barked at local body politicians hours after the event. Forecasters knew it would be a significant event, but not quite as significant as it turned out to be. That said, the fact that we sent 40,000 Elton John fans out into the eye of that storm and the concert was not cancelled until 15 minutes before showtime is still inexplicable to me. An earlier declaration of a state of emergency might have prevented the exodus of innocents into harm's way. So, the state of emergency was not declared until 9.30 and then made public at 10.18pm at night. The Mayor explains that this was when the emergency services officially informed him that they were overwhelmed. This is all technically correct but it lacks basic common sense. It's not what the Mayor and his advisors got wrong. What was lacking was leadership and communication. Proactive leadership from a mayor and emergency staff. Geeing us up. Helping the spread of information. Auckland Emergency Management issued no social media alerts for four hours between about 6pm and 10pm. I find that incomprehensible. But also incomprehensible is that the Mayor didn't recognise the problem and kick them into action. Not for the first time, Mr Fixit didn't know what to do to fixit. Wayne Brown doesn't get it but others do. Thank God.   Councillor Richard Hills was brilliant on twitter. Praised by Mt Albert MP Jacinda Ardern on Saturday for his compilation of info. Councillor Desley Simpson was the real Mayor on Facebook and posted all night long. Marcus Lush's programme stopped my son going down an on ramp closed by a fallen tree with just minutes to spare From the Mayor's office we got no advice on how to cope all Friday evening. We got one picture of him signing a piece of paper and that's it. And that was symbolic arse covering. Look I did something. The next morning he was sniffy about twitter versus official channels. Well, Twitter saved my family mate. Welcome to 2023. Mayor Brown's performance is part of the pantomime of leadership amongst the politicians we see these days, which views the pursuit of political power as some sort of theatresport, rather than a competition of valid and workable ideas. We saw examples all week long. Jacinda Ardern steps aside for Chris Hipkins and suddenly we think that the Labour Party has essentially changed? Nicola Willis saying raising the minimum wage by a few cents would be inflationary after spending last year claiming a tax cut for the rich would not be. It's time to remember: many of these politicians aren't leaders, they're politicians. They'll say anything to keep power and popularity. They're people who don't get that government is different than business because you have to worry about everything and everyone all the time and not just your mates. And it appears that many of them really don't care for what Christopher Luxon charmingly calls the bottom feeders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Emergency Management issued alerts to mobile phones last night warning about the danger from an active line of thunderstorms. The alerts followed the worst rain in the city's history, that left four dead and hundreds in emergency accommodation. A severe thunderstorm watch from Metservice remains in place, with forecasters saying Auckland will have some relief from the rain today, before heavy falls set in again on Tuesday. Auckland emergency management duty controller Rachael Kelleher spoke to Kim Hill.  

With more urban dwellers making the move to the country, a new handbook has been developed to help lifestyle block owners prepare for and get through an emergency. It's been developed by Auckland Council's Emergency Management, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the Ministry for Primary Industries, and FMG. Auckland Emergency Management General Manager Paul Amaral join us now to tell us moreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parts of Auckland have no tsunami sirens - with 31 stolen since May. Auckland Emergency Management says theft and vandalism of the sirens is an ongoing concern, particularly on the West Coast. They can't be used for other purposes like playing music and the organisation is struggling to source the number of replacements needed. Auckland Emergency Management's Adam Maggs says it's very frustrating, as these sirens are both essential and hard to replace. "Obviously with those sirens that have been stolen, we've recorded those through to the police. The police are investigating, we're looking at options to replace the existing units. But of course, the challenge is, is that they're not an off-the-shelf product." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A clean-up is beginning in West Auckland after Tuesday's floods. Dozens of homes were left uninhabitable after the flooding. Auckland Emergency Management's deputy controller Rachel Kelleher spoke to Corin Dann.

Hours of continuous heavy rain in Auckland has caused evacuations from flooded homes in the city's West, submerged cars and some roads are awash.The suburbs of Kumeū, Ranui and Henderson Valley have been particularly hard hit.The deluge has forced the closure of State Highway 16 through the Kumeu township and an evacuation centre has been set up in Henderson. Auckland Emergency Management deputy controller Rachel Kelleher says residents who feel unsafe, should leave their homes - and the emergency situation overrides the Covid-19 stay at home order.

Shock storms and flooding in Auckland has blindsided emergency management, with about 50 evacuations. There's been incidents right across Auckland and the North Shore, with the bulk being in West Auckland, and up to Kumeu. Fire Emergency New Zealand say between 9.30 pm and 4 am, they received more than 150 calls for assistance. Most of the calls related to flooding into residential properties. They were also called to help people stuck in vehicles. Waitakare Ward councillor Shane Henderson said he woke up to texts at 2am about the storm. Corin Dann spoke to Auckland Emergency Management's deputy controller Rachel Kelleher.

Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Kate Crawford joins us now for updates on clean up after the tornado which devastated Papatoetoe in Auckland Last week. If you cannot make it to the hub at Papatoetoe Library, please phone Auckland Emergency Management on 0800 22 22 00 for assistance. Financial assistance The Ministry of Social Development financial support: Civil Defence payments are available for people who have been affected by the tornado. You don't have to be on a benefit to qualify. In most cases it doesn't matter what your income is or what assets you have. Affected people can phone Work and Income on 0800 752 102 to make an application. If you have urgent food needs as a result of being displaced by the tornado, you can look for providers on the Family Services Directory. Food safety and illness prevention Take care with food from your fridge and freezer to avoid food poisoning and manage spoilage issues. After more than two days without power, highly perishable foods may not be safe to eat. Throw out rotten or contaminated food quickly so it doesn't spoil other food in the fridge. You can still eat food like raw vegetables, cheese and bread. Dispose of any food from the freezer which has thawed out and been at room temperature for longer than two hours. When the power comes back on, it is important not to refreeze food that has defrosted. If you are unsure, have a closer look and smell. If the colour has changed, it has a slimy texture or if it smells off, it probably is off. If you eat food that has gone off, you can risk infection from salmonella, campylobacter and a range of food poisoning bacteria. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Parul Sood joins us now for updates on clean up after the tornado which devastated Papatoetoe in Auckland on Saturday morning. Please see key messages below: If you cannot make it to the hub, please phone Auckland Emergency Management on 0800 22 22 00 for assistance. Important updates: The Ōtara welfare centre has closed and has been replaced with an info hub at Allan Brewster Leisure Centre, 7 Tavern Lane, Papatoetoe between 9am and 7pm. Normal waste collections have resumed, however there are increased efforts in the affected streets. Check with your insurer before you dispose of damaged items and take photographs for your claims. Some insurers also cover food items. If your property has been without power and you need to dispose of spoiled food, please double bag it and put in your normal refuse collection bin (not your recycling bin). Financial assistance The Ministry of Social Development financial support: Civil Defence payments are available for people who have been affected by the tornado. You don't have to be on a benefit to qualify. In most cases it doesn't matter what your income is or what assets you have. Affected people can phone Work and Income on 0800 752 102 to make an application. If you have urgent food needs as a result of being displaced by the tornado, you can look for providers on the Family Services Directory. Food safety and illness prevention Take care with food from your fridge and freezer to avoid food poisoning and manage spoilage issues. After more than two days without power, highly perishable foods may not be safe to eat. Throw out rotten or contaminated food quickly so it doesn't spoil other food in the fridge. You can still eat food like raw vegetables, cheese and bread. Dispose of any food from the freezer which has thawed out and been at room temperature for longer than two hours. When the power comes back on, it is important not to refreeze food that has defrosted. If you are unsure, have a closer look and smell. If the colour has changed, it has a slimy texture or if it smells off, it probably is off. If you eat food that has gone off, you can risk infection from salmonella, campylobacter and a range of food poisoning bacteria.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Contractors will be out in force again today in tornado-hit Papatoetoe removing debris including roofing iron, timber and toppled trees and restoring power to a final few houses. Auckland Emergency Management says at least 32 people stayed in emergency accommodation in motels overnight. Reporter Katie Todd has been visiting homeowners facing a huge clean up.

Papatoetoe is still working to recover after a tornado hit the area on Saturday morning. Initial estimates had 62 houses uninhabitable, but Mayor Phil Goff told Morning Report on Monday that number may go down somewhat after reinspection. Auckland Emergency Management says at least 32 people stayed in emergency accommodation in motels overnight. Goff said there is a mayoral emergency fund available for those who need it, and the government has chipped in $100,000 for it. He said a lot of houses affected were insured, but not all of them. [audio_play] "There are other people that didn't have full insurance, there are some people that were renting, and they've lost their possessions."

Contractors will be out in force again today in tornado-hit Papatoetoe removing debris including roofing iron, timber and toppled trees and restoring power to a final few houses. Auckland Emergency Management says at least 32 people stayed in emergency accommodation in motels overnight. Reporter Katie Todd has been visiting homeowners facing a huge clean up.

Papatoetoe is still working to recover after a tornado hit the area on Saturday morning. Initial estimates had 62 houses uninhabitable, but Mayor Phil Goff told Morning Report on Monday that number may go down somewhat after reinspection. Auckland Emergency Management says at least 32 people stayed in emergency accommodation in motels overnight. Goff said there is a mayoral emergency fund available for those who need it, and the government has chipped in $100,000 for it. He said a lot of houses affected were insured, but not all of them. [audio_play] "There are other people that didn't have full insurance, there are some people that were renting, and they've lost their possessions."

One person is dead, one injured and residents of more than 1200 mostly Papatoetoe homes - 60 of which are now uninhabitable - have been left picking up the pieces after an ordinary Saturday morning turned to terror when a tornado ripped through South Auckland.It was just before 8.30am when the tornado struck, in a matter of seconds tearing off roofs and garage doors, uprooting trees, smashing windows, toppling a truck and power poles - some on to cars - and leaving stunned residents cowering and praying in their homes from Manurewa to Papatoetoe.They estimated more than 1200 homes had been affected by the tornado, with the majority without power.An Auckland Emergency Management spokeswoman said a family of eight and a family of three were provided with accommodation last night.She said Auckland Emergency Management were holding a debriefing and planning session this morning and would provide an update about 9.30am.Fire and Emergency and Urban Search and Rescue teams had so far assessed 240 as being impacted by the tornado, 60 of which were uninhabitable.Assessments would continue today, so the number of tornado-damaged homes could increase, Auckland Emergency Management controller Parul Sood said last night.At a Ports of Auckland yard on Wiri Station Rd, dozens of stacked shipping containers collapsed as the powerful funnel of spinning air crossed Wiri, with at least one container weighing 30 tonnes tossed into the air.A contractor not employed directly for the Auckland Council-owned port company was killed and a truck driver on site injured but it's understood the fallen shipping containers may not be directly responsible for the death.The injured truck driver was taken to Middlemore Hospital with moderate injuries, a St John spokeswoman said.Auckland mayor Phil Goff said he'd been told someone at the yard died after the force of the wind threw them some distance in the air and they then struck a solid object."I want to be careful about that [cause of death]. I've had conversations about it … I've talked to Ports of Auckland, they said the force of the wind was so strong that 30-tonne containers were being picked up and blown about in the air."A person at the yard described the scene as "carnage", with distraught workers watching as three ambulances, a specialist response team and multiple police officers rushed to help, with someone being "worked on" in the back of an ambulance.As well as toppled containers, including the 30-tonne one lifted by the wind, signs from the neighbouring motorway were also blown onto the site, Ports of Auckland spokesman Matt Ball said."We're very shocked by what is a horrendous freak event and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the people who've been affected."This will be difficult for our staff. They're not just affected by what's happened at work, many of them also live in the area."Papatoetoe and Manurewa residents described terrifying scenes as the tornado cut a swathe of destruction across parts of both suburbs, sparking 100 calls to Fire and Emergency New Zealand.More than 20 crews were sent to help.Because the tornado, although destructive, was localised and brief it didn't cross paths with any wind gauges, so wind speeds weren't known, MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said.The rain gauge at Auckland Airport in Mangere recorded 25mm in the hour to 9am yesterday, with the downpours "a good indication of the amount of energy that was around", Bellam said.Many residents were still asleep in bed or only just awake when the noise of the tornado alerted them to the approaching danger."The noise was horrendous … it sounded like a plane was landing on our house," said Annelise Greenfield, who huddled in the hallway with her husband and three kids, hugging and praying, as the tornado tore its way up Grande Vue Rd in Papatoetoe."My 10-year-old thought she was going to die."Emerging outside they found their letterbox at the front door, their shed's roof...