Massive traffic jam through Porirua & Tawa

A truck & trailer unit rolled just south of Porirua at about 5:45 this morning, blocking all the southbound lanes of State Highway 1. It was carrying propylene gas and mail. Traffic is being diverted through Porirua and Tawa, and is moving very sloooooowly. Everyone is trying to find another way in to Wellington, and choking up all the alternative routes as well.

It may take until midday to clear it all.

There will be quite a number of businesses with staff stuck in that mess - I know there's a good number of our council staff who haven't made it to the office yet. It took one an hour and a half just to get to Porirua CBD from Pukerua Bay! Will your business be opening on time today? There's a few businesses under the Canopies that haven't opened their doors yet.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4030777/Truck-rolls-on-SH1-north-of-Wellington

EDIT: 10:15 - The unit has finally been righted, but the Fire Service still has the dangerous goods which were onboard to deal with.

EDIT: 13:15 - The vehicle has been removed, but State Highway 1 is expected to remain closed until 3pm.

EDIT: 14:25 - State Highway 1 is now open in both directions, though there'll still be a bit of a backlog of traffic to clear.

Stuff article about the aftermath -
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4034140/Moments-inattention-brings-misery-to-30-000

Unnatural events

Not all emergency events are caused by Mother Nature. Sometimes we're the ones who cause the incident - just like today, where a chemical leak in Christchurch has caused the evacuation of a processing plant, and several city blocks surrounding the site. Nine people have been taken to hospital so far, after being overcome by fumes, and the police & fire service have set up decontamination showers for people leaving the area. I've seen decontamination showers in action, they aren't a lot of fun for the person being scrubbed down - though certainly better than whatever the contamination was going to do to you.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4679493a11.html

And occassionally we do something bad to Mother Nature - there's the Sidoarjo mud eruption in Java, Indonesia, which has continued unabated for almost two years, flooding an area of 7 km2 and displacing more than 25,000 people. There is some debate as to the cause of the eruption, but scientists now blame a well drilling blowout, rather than an earlier earthquake. Oops! Bit worse than hitting the water or gas main with your digger....
http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/36/8/639
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidoarjo_mud_flow

More news

http://www.stuff.co.nz/ is just full of emergency management news today!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4669517a11.html - Major quake likely to be confined to one island - NIWA scientists have found there are no major fault lines connecting the North and South Islands meaning the devastating effects of a major quake could be confined to just one island.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4668712a19715.html - Kaikoura, Seddon, Blenheim and Picton are taking a pounding from a rain front that has cut roads and railway lines and caused widespread surface flooding along the east coast of the South Island. The tiny township of Peketa, south of Kaikoura, is being evacuated after flooding threatened the settlement, as the Kahutara River burst its banks

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4668674a11.html - and the cost of these storms just keeps on climbing.

Insurance is a Good Idea!

Here's some images from the last lot of flooding North Canterbury got, at the end of July.
http://www.hurunui.govt.nz/Services/EmergencyManagement/Flood08.htm
There's a rather nice pub in Amberley - great food. I do hope it survived without harm.

But wait, there's more!

If bad weather and earthquakes weren't enough, there's an oil spill along State Highway 2 in Lower Hutt causing traffic hold-ups. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4669463a11.html