NEWS RELEASE 1.30PM - 7 October 2008

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

ENDS

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