Cyclone Gabrielle: Power outages in parts of Auckland could last 'multiple days'
Monday, 13 February 2023
Thousands of Aucklanders are without power as the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle are being felt widely across the upper North Island.
As of 3.30pm, nearly 13,000 homes and businesses across Vector’s network were without power. Thousands have been restored since Monday morning, while new ones have cropped up, and some are taking “much longer to reach and fix”.
As of 5pm, 1000 Counties Energy customers were without power, with large outages in Āwhitu, Waikaretu, and a large cluster of smaller faults in the Hunua and Paparimu areas.
The cyclone is expected to impact the network “significantly” from about 9pm, and Counties Energy is expecting damage to the network through to about lunchtime on Wednesday.
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* In pictures: Cyclone Gabrielle brings strong winds, heavy rain to Aotearoa
* Cyclone Gabrielle: Some Northlanders could be without power for a week
**
People are being advised to prepare for “prolonged outages that could last multiple days in some locations”.
If you are medically dependent, you must have your emergency plan ready and activate it earlier rather than later, Counties Energy says.
Around a thousand field crews and support staff were helping with Vector’s power restoration effort.
In some cases there are multiple faults occurring and, as they restore power, another fault happens in the same area.
“While this is the nature of these sorts of extreme weather events, we know it is hugely frustrating for customers.”
Earlier on Monday, Vector said strong winds mean crews have at times had to stop aerial work involving cherry pickers, because it is “too dangerous”.
Wind gusts have exceeded 130kph in parts of Auckland, and 150kph in exposed parts of Northland.
In some areas, Vector is finding multiple faults on the same line, slowing down the restoration process.
Issues were also being faced in some rural areas.
Near Warkworth, Vector needed to organise an excavator to reach an area where four poles have been damaged, and trucks are unable to get close.
The recent flooding event in Auckland has exacerbated the issue, as there is a greater likelihood of trees falling on power lines and poles being affected by movement in “sodden, unstable land”.
In the south, properties at the top of Manukau Heads on the Āwhitu Peninsula, Hunua, Paparimu, Ararimu, Bombay, Mangatāwhiri area, and across the Waikato River through Mercer, Onewhero and Pukekawa have been most affected.
The Counties’ region has been split into three areas for the storm response, with 37 crews working.
Counties Energy is warning customers that, as more outages are expected over the coming 24 hours, people should prepare for “prolonged” power outages, “possibly over multiple days”.
“Those customers in more isolated rural locations, it may take some time to gain access and resolve outages, so please prepare for an extended period without power.”
It would take time to repair the “huge” amount of damage to the network, caused largely by trees and debris hitting the lines, lines down from high winds and power poles down from slips.
Crews were finding it difficult to gain access to outages due to trees across roads and slips.
The Northland and Far North regions have also been hit hard by power outages.
Some 30,000 households were without power across the north on Monday morning, with people warned they could be without electricity for a week.
About 18,500 Northpower customers (across the Whangārei and Kaipara districts) were without power, as 10,500 Top Energy customers in the Far North were affected.