92-year-old and daughter among struggling Kumeū flood victims who can't go home

Saturday, 20 November 2021

Kumeū resident Deborah Crawford is still working through an insurance claim, months after her home was badly flooded.

An elderly resident in West Auckland’s Kumeū is among a group of people still unable to return home, after extensive flooding inundated the region months ago.

Diana Crawford, 92, woke to floodwaters throughout her home on Boord Crescent on August 31. She was fortunate “not to have died” after being hospitalised with pneumonia from wading through water as she escaped her house.

Her daughter, Deborah Crawford, said it’s been “heartbreaking” to watch her mother’s mental health deteriorate after she left hospital – as she cannot return to her home during a lengthy and extensive renovation.

“She wants to go home to what's normal,” said Crawford.

Crawford and her mother aren’t alone – a recent Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee report showed nine west Auckland families are still in emergency housing.

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Diana Crawford looks at a wedding photo of her 92-year-old mother, Diana, who still can't return to her Kumeū home.

“[Diana] went from – pre-flood – doing her own shopping, driving around and being independent, to not eating and hardly moving.

“It's more the isolation than anything that's had a major impact on her. Most people don't take into account the mental toll this takes.”

Eighty homes were “significantly damaged” by the floods across Huapai, Waimauku, Kumeū, Ranui and Piha - with Kumeū noting its second-wettest day since records began.

Crawford’s mother is now staying with family in Kaukapakapa, 30 minutes from her home. Crawford brings her back to Kumeū once a week. She described watching “silent tears” roll down her mother’s face whenever she returns.

“She wants to stay in her home, she doesn’t want to go back. [Kaukapakapa] is just not her environment,” said Crawford.

Crawford and her mother aren’t alone. A recent Civil Defence and Emergency Management Committee report showed nine west Auckland families are still in emergency housing from the August 31 deluge.

Eighty homes were “significantly damaged” by the floods across Huapai, Waimauku, Kumeū, Ranui and Piha. It was Kumeū’s second wettest day since records began.

Rain gauges recorded between 220mm and 270mm of rainfall over 12 hours.

Rapid building assessments by Auckland Council found four homes were no longer habitable and deemed unsafe. Another 74 had enough damage for council to have “concerns about the building’s performance”.

Preliminary figures from the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) showed insured losses of $56.5 million from more than 2400 claims.

Most costs came from 1799 home and contents claims, totalling more than $26m. Another 259 claims were the result of commercial damage and business interruption or lost profits, coming in at $24.8m.

After months of back-and-forth with her insurance company, Crawford said she’s finally seen some light at the end of the tunnel as her mother grows desperate to return home.

“We’re finally at the stage now where we’re asking for quotes, it will be quite a big one,” she said.

“For me, I wouldn't worry about it as much as I'd weather it through. But for my mum, she's the major concern. She's in her twilight years, she hasn't got lots of time left and she just wants to live in her own house.”