Just one week after Cyclone Vainau swept through New Zealand’s North Island, the region is facing another extreme weather disaster: record-breaking torrential rain that has triggered catastrophic flash flooding and widespread landslides, prompting official authorities to declare a full state of emergency across the capital city of Wellington.
Viral footage circulated across social and online platforms has captured the full scale of the destruction: passenger vehicles are fully submerged in swollen floodwaters, mature trees have been ripped from the ground by surging currents, and multiple residential properties have sustained severe damage after being hit by debris-heavy landslides. According to Wellington Mayor Andrew Little, the capital saw an unprecedented 77 millimeters (3 inches) of rainfall fall in less than 60 minutes on Monday, a rainfall rate that overwhelmed local drainage systems far beyond their design capacity.
In the wake of the downpour, local emergency management officials have issued urgent guidance for Wellington residents: stay indoors and shelter in place as additional rain is projected to continue over the next 36 hours. All non-essential travel has been strongly discouraged, and residents living in low-lying or historically flood-prone neighborhoods have been advised to relocate to the homes of friends or family members for a minimum of 24 hours to avoid risk.
Disruptions to daily life have been widespread across the region. Multiple commercial flights in and out of Wellington International Airport have been canceled, and dozens of local schools have closed their campuses to protect students and staff from hazardous travel conditions. More than 12 local residents have already been evacuated from high-risk areas, and emergency teams are currently searching for a 60-year-old man who was reported missing in Wellington’s Karori suburb. As of the latest update, no fatalities have been confirmed.
Little described the ongoing unfolding crisis in a video posted to his official Facebook page, noting “The wild weather continues. We’ve had flooding, slips and evacuations… The flooding has been strong enough to move cars, and many manhole covers have been lifted” by the force of the surging water. To support residents displaced by the disaster, the Wellington City Mission has been activated as an official emergency shelter for anyone in need of a safe place to stay amid the ongoing bad weather.