Wind Storms Cut Power to Auckland
Gale-force winds battering northern New Zealand cut power to the nation’s biggest city, while heavy snow from a cold snap collapsed roofs and blanketed much of the country’s south.
Electricity was cut to half of Auckland’s 1.3 million residents. Police activated an emergency management plan. The city’s airport was open but operating on generator power.
Officials said a wire that had fallen across a power line also affected eight other supply lines to the city. Prime Minister Helen Clark demanded to know why Auckland was so dependent on a single power line.
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