After the storm
NZ has just been on the receiving end of a doozy combination of weather systems courtesy of the deep (Antarctic) south. It combined with a full perigee moon to deliver the worst storm in decades.
Wellington got pummelled. Our immediate suburb wasn’t impacted too badly, just a few downed branches and collapsed fences it seemed. Power was cut to thousands of homes across the city and we thought we got off very lightly when we made it through Thursday night with our electricity intact.
However, the following afternoon it got cut. We’ve just had our fourth night without power and could be in for another few chilly days. I prepared most of this post at our local pub!
Our situation is better than those whose homes bore the brunt of the severe gales, especially along the south coast where they had the double whammy of the high tide which delivered waves and debris up and over the road, into garages and houses.
Over the course of the weekend we took in parts of the storm-affected city.
It soon became apparent that the boat sheds did not fare very well at all
For me the boat sheds were the saddest outcome of the storm. These few small structures are treasured icons from earlier times and despite standing for many decades, this weather was the undoing of them. Hopefully the owners can (and are permitted to) repair them.
The fence line is a good gauge of the sand dune decimation at Worser Bay
At Seatoun it’s a bit hard to tell where the beach stops and the road starts
Breaker Bay was still getting a good lashing on Saturday
At some point rope had been used to help secure this poor boat shed
Boat shed at Breaker Bay (weather returning to normal by this time!)
Also at Breaker Bay
On the other side of town at Lowry Bay, and around further toward Eastbourne, waves washed onto the road
We went to Mike’s mum and dad’s place for Saturday night to find the driveway covered in tree debris. At least it wasn’t whole trees
Looking across to downtown Wellington on Sunday morning
Boats blown off their trailers at Seaview Marina
Debris at the side of the road on the Petone foreshore
Repairs underway to the main railway link between the Hutt Valley and Wellington City – trains are cancelled for a week or so
Looking across to the top of the South Island (yes it would seem they did have a bit of snow)
Sand bags were used at the Island Bay Surf Club
A big chunk of the sea wall at Island Bay was destroyed
Debris from the ocean either washed up here or was forced here by the huge winds
And I’ve saved the worst until last:
The consequence of no electricity in winter: bundled up like a nana!
🙂
tall tales 
Great photos Ley – gives a better coverage than I saw on TV. Sad – but incredible that all people apparently escaped physically unscathed. Umm… there is a likeness to Gran in the last photo – or maybe Aunty Mil!!
*gasp of horror*
Great photos and journal Hayley. Well done and i hope things will be back to normal soon for you.
Hi Alan, thank you!
Talented lady. Am guessing the romance of no power is over …
BTW …Gran is beautiful!
Kind lady. Yes the actual Gran is!
Oh wow! That’s a ripper of a storm! Hope you’ve got your power back by now. If not, I hope so very soon.
Hi Ali – no not yet (these frosty mornings are damn hard!) but thank you 🙂
Postscript: electricity was restored to our place after seven nights. Aspects of the process and communication were shambolic and there will be some big learnings for the companies involved and city generally in how to deal with destructive events, but we got there!
Amazing photos. I’m glad to hear electricity is restored. I hope life in Wellington is returning to normal
Thanks very much Reva – life is back to normal for the majority of people, and we’ve now caught up on our HUGE pile of washing!
I am speechless when seeing Your set of photos.
That must have been some storm, well documented!
Wow, Hayley…what destruction. Yikes! I’m glad you guys are okay. By the way, I’m glad to see that while you’re bundled up like a nana with no power, you seem to have a beer to swill in the meantime???? 🙂
Yes I thought afterwards that the bottle (of energy drink) would probably suggest to eagle-eyed people, and clearly you belong in that club, that things can’t have been too abominable!
Oops — Sorry, Hayley. it’s not that I’m eagle eyed, but more like I’d be cracking a beer if my electricity had been out for four days!
Absolutely, and our alcohol consumption most definitely went up that week because we were either eating our or going round to friends and family for dinner. People reaching out with offers of help was a really nice aspect of that whole experience.