About 50 people living in Mt Eden apartments could spend another night evacuated from their homes as strong winds prevent engineers from inspecting the safety of a nearby tower.
Engineers yesterday ordered the immediate evacuation of the apartments and nearby commercial buildings after engineers feared strong winds brought by Cyclone Gabriel could cause the 30-metre tower to collapse on to surrounding buildings.
Auckland Emergency Management then set up a temporary exclusion zone around the 109-year-old Colonial Ammunition Company Shot Tower in Normandy Rd.
A spokeswoman for AEM said today that residents would be allowed back in their homes once Auckland Council authorities had deemed it safe.
However, with Auckland subject to a strong wind warning through to midnight tonight, the Auckland Body Corporate building manager for one of the affected complexes said it may take residents a little longer to get home.
“I’m picking it won’t be until tomorrow where people can go back into their apartments,” said the manager for the apartments at 25-27 Enfield St in Mt Eden.
“They will try and get everyone back in there as soon as possible.”
Teams inspect the Shot Tower on Normanby Rd yesterday. Photo / George Heard
Residents are not yet sure when they'll be let back into their homes. Photo / George Heard
“However, until it is safe for an engineer to go and carry out an inspection, residents won’t be able to go back into their apartments.
“They can’t go climbing around and inspecting the tower if it is windy.”
The threat to the Mt Eden apartments comes as home owners and communities in the Auckland region and across the North Island’s north and east have been forced to evacuate due to flooding, land slips and the threat of storm surges from the ocean.
AEM controller Mace Ward said the 50 people evacuated from Mt Eden were living in around 33 apartments.
“Families were encouraged to stay with friends or family and a small number who required shelter were taken to Trusts Arena in Henderson,” he said.
People living in about 50 Mt Eden apartments have been ordered to urgently evacuate after high winds from Cyclone Gabrielle have cast fears that a 109-year-old tower could collapse.
Yesterday, Mace said the apartment evacuations were ordered after his team received advice from engineers, who completed a structural inspection of the tower, and MetService.
“Our building assessment team, alongside welfare officers and the police have been on site alerting residents of around 50 apartments that they need to urgently leave their homes,” Ward said at the time.
