Aucklanders are being asked to provide their images and videos from the recent flooding events to support the planning and preparation for future weather events.
Auckland Council has launched flooded.co.nz as a secure and private crowdsourcing portal to collect photos, videos, stories and location details of the flooding Aucklanders experienced or witnessed during the unprecedented storms earlier this year.
Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters Head of Planning Nick Vigar says flooded.co.nz offers an opportunity to collect data as quickly as possible from those that experienced it first-hand and build a full picture of the scale of flooding.
“Aucklanders who experienced the flooding hold a wealth of knowledge that is valuable to us. We have data that shows us where it flooded, but that doesn’t tell us where the water came from and how people and properties were impacted along its route.
"Often when flooding is investigated, the water has already receded so Aucklanders sharing their ‘in the moment’ images and experiences with us will contribute to our future response to storms.
“We will use this information to inform the council’s flood hazard strategies and help ensure we have the most up-to-date and robust data and flood models to support communities at risk of flooding,” says Mr Vigar.
Content submitted to flooded.co.nz will be secure and any faces or identifiers such as vehicle license plates or house numbers will be blurred to protect privacy.
The flooded.co.nz site is not for reporting flooding that requires action. In an emergency call 111 if there is risk to life or property. To report flooding and request an investigation by Auckland Council call 09 301 0101.
“The information provided by Aucklanders will support the wider recovery work happening in response to the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. The effects of these events are far-reaching and it is important that events like these are used to help us better understand where and how we should grow, in order to build more resilient communities," says Mr Vigar.
A scope of work was recently approved by the council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee to investigate the effects of the recent extreme weather events and what implications these might have for our infrastructure and policy settings.
