Jason Dorday/Stuff
Seve Uatea’s home was submerged by flooding on Friday night.
State home residents whose homes were rendered virtually unlivable after water, mud, and debris washed their homes during the war Friday’s flood has yet to hear from Kainga Ora.
Residents of Kainga Ora homes on Clover Drive, Henderson — some of whom had to swim to safety — saw their homes flooded in one of the hardest-hit areas of the city.
Floods filled the home of Safunga and Seve Uatea as they had to pull past a fence to escape the streams that swept their car.
Their house is covered in mud and traces of water extend almost 2 meters on walls, but at 2pm on Saturday, they had still heard from Kainga Ora.
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* ‘Unprecedented’ figures: more than 2000 111 calls, hundreds of rescues and record-breaking rainfall
When contacted by Stuff on Saturday morning, a KO spokesperson said staff were “outright” and they would respond later in the day.
Just before 2 p.m., Deputy CEO John Tubberty responded and said they had received more than 100 calls overnight and about 250 by noon on Saturday.
STUFF
Videos and footage from Friday and Saturday show the extent of damage caused by flooding following a severe weather event in Auckland.
Tubberty said KO staff were conducting welfare checks on our customers, focusing on the hardest hit areas in the west and south of Auckland – mainly by telephone.
Some of those who Stuff spoke said they didn’t have a phone because they were damaged by the flood.
Tubberty said the immediate priority was to ensure customers and staff were safe.
“We are aware of several properties that have been badly damaged, but at this stage it is too early to give a definitive number of properties that are damaged or uninhabitable.
“Kāinga Ora, Auckland Emergency Management and MSD will work together to ensure that all our customers displaced by flooding have a place to stay.”
James Halpin/Stuff
Henderson resident Lina Anderson’s Kainga Ora home was inundated by floodwaters.
Neighbor Lina Anderson was among those who had tried to reach Kainga Ora herself, but they had been put on hold.
“Everything is soaked,” she said. Fridge and freezer broken.”
Her kids’ favorite toys — including her daughter’s iPad — and school uniforms had been washed away just as school starts next week.
“I was prepared, but now it’s all gone.
“It was very scary. The water rises so fast. You try to get your kids out in such a panic. When I tried to get out, the water is already near my neck, but I’m too short. ”
James Halpin/Stuff
Kainga Ora’s homes on Clover Drive, Henderson were severely affected by flooding.
The unprecedented rain in Auckland brought 245mm of rain to Auckland Airport in the 24 hours from 9am on Friday. The previous record was 161.8 mm.
The fire service responded to 719 weather incidents, answered 2,242 emergency calls and conducted 126 rescues on Friday and into the early hours of Saturday.
As of Saturday afternoon, it was still processing a backlog of about 1355 less urgent 111 calls overnight, checking with callers to see if they still needed help.