Bogus Storm-damage Report - Please Ignore

A bogus storm-damage report is circulating today on email groups around Wellington - containing information from a storm in August 2004.

Advice from Wellington City Council is to ignore the email - a copy of which is attached below.

The email contains extensive lists of streets closed by slips around Wellington, reports of damage at Wellington Airport, details of extensive delays to trains and buses, school closures, and 'huge seas' blocking Moa Point Road.

The City Council has received a number of calls from people anxious about the emailed report - headed WELLINGTON WEATHER WARNINGS - however we stress that the information is entirely incorrect.

While there have been strong northerly winds in the Wellington region today, and heavy rain - none of the incidents on the email being circulated have occurred. They all occurred during a fierce southerly storm in August 2004.

The City Council will attempt to find out how and why the email was initially circulated - but in the meantime our advice is please ignore it.

Bogus email follows:

Subject: WELLINGTON WEATHER WARNINGS

Thought you might want to forward this around as this is probably gonig to affect most people here....

ITS GETTING WORSE!

Updates on storm as follows

Slips

Makara Rd

Homebush Rd

Fairview Cres

Trees Down

Plimmer Steps

Mahoe St, Tawa

Kimberley Way, Karori

Herald Mitchell St

Branscombe St

Arlington St, Karori

Shortt St

Moffat St

Abel Smith St

Barnard St

Oban St

Tarikaka St

Houghton bay Rd

Taiaroa St

Beacon Hill Rd

Rintoul St

Konini St

Waipori St

Cnr Townsend Rd

South Karori Rd

Constable St

St Michaels Cres

Chater St

Mark Ave

Bell St

Mortimer Tce

Akaroa Dr

Hallswater Dr

Mornington Rd

Glen Alton Ave

Boundary Rd

Lines Down

Milne Cres

Lyall Bay Rd

Ellice St

Washington Ave

Carlton St

Cheeseman St

Para St

Wingfield Pl

Ohariu Road

Makara Rd

Cheeseman Rd

Akatea St

Ellice St

College St

Barnard St

Kekerenga St

Mark Ave

Bedford St

Amristar Rd

Glen Alton Ave

No Power

Severn St

Queens Drive

Darlington Rd

No Power in most parts of Wadestown

College St

Lucknow Tce

Simla Cres

Helston Rd

Road Closures

Onslow and Ngaio Road

Moa Point Road is closed due to huge seas breaking over the southern end of the Wellington Airport runway.

Stewart Duff Drive, on the eastern side of the Airport, is closed because cladding is being blown off a hangar.

The Hutt Road is closed between Ngaio Gorge Road and Onslow Road because of lifting roofing at the Placemakers site.

Makara Road and Ohariu Valley Road closed by fallen trees and power lines.

A big slip has closed Homebush Road, Khandallah

Sewerage

Raw sewerage flowing down Wakefield Street Clutha Ave Nicholson Rd

Other

Public access to the Basin Reserve has been closed. Approximately 15 windows in the RA Vance Stand have blown out.

Fulton Hogan working on Airport roof which is lifting Council Parks staff have closed off the walking tracks on Tinakori Hill due to the danger caused by many falling trees.

Power poles are in danger of toppling on the seafront at Lyall Bay.

No power to about 40 homes in Karori

Hutt Motorway one lane north bound reopen between Melling and Maungaraki but south bound closed Traffic lights out bowen/glenmore/tinakori Trafic lights facing wrong way Kent and Majoribanks St

All Trains Cancelled

Buses from Hutt Valley cancelled

Glass all over footpath and road in Cambridge tce Northern Landfill closed closed the transfer station Not operating Library Mobile bus - Karori Today All flights cancelled the rear section of roof of Shed 6, on Waterfront has lifted and gone the South end of Events centre Roof is lifting and is likely to go vehicle entry to Waterfront including Dockside, Shed 5 and the Helicopters is now closed.

Johnsonville badly affected No Power

Onslow College closed, other schools will follow Raroa Intermediate closed Pump stations out Johnsonville Library closed - no power Flooding in Hutt - Locations Affected WAIWHETU Haywards Tce and Wainui Rd.

SEAVIEW / EASTBOURNE

Eastern Bays Marine Drive - debris and surface flooding Croft Grove - surface flooding WESTERN HILLS

SH2 - slips and debris between Melling and Haywards

SH2 - Maungaraki and Melling one lane north bound re-opened> WAINUI HILL RD - Gracefield Road on and off ramps closed. Gracefield Road closed between Bell Rd and Wainuiomata Hill Rd closed.

RIVERSIDE CARPARK - is now being closed

BLOCK ROAD - is now closed

Road to Eastbourne closed

Electricity has been cut to parts of Korokoro, Petone, Naenae, Melling and Coast Road Wainuiomata.

Other parts of the city may also be affected by power cuts