State of Emergency

Lower Hutt is in an official state of "Moderate Emergency". In contrast to the extra hot weather in the UK it has been extra wet here. We had 34mm of rain yesterday, making 512mm of rain in the last 6 weeks. Rainfall in July was 380mm smashing the previous record of 255mm.

The most obvious impact has been in landslips. The photo above shows a house in Eastbourne which slipped off its foundation last week. Today they are demolishing a house in Kelson whose garage and garden sheared away into the gorge.


Prize for the least appropriate real estate marketing hype must go to Michael McNamara of Remax Leaders. Given the recent slips in Eastbourne and Kelson he is selling a house in Maungaraki under the unfortunate headline “Fall into the Harbour”. I guess he is referring to the perpsective and the view rather than making an apocalyptic prediction. Perhaps it could herald a new realism in realty with phrases like “Possible future absolute waterfront” or “Great Harbour Views getting closer all the time”.

It is tough for the people who live in these houses. One guy went out to investiagte the noise in his garden with his torch but the beam had nowhere to shine!. It is hardly an emergency on a global scale nevertheless it is a reminder of how quickly what looks substantial can be swept away. We would really prefer that our house stays where it is.