"Water Everywhere": Cars Swept to Sea and Floating Fridges in Wellington’s Storm Surge

Wellington residents describe "water everywhere" as cars float down Wright Street and are washed out to sea in Ōwhiro Bay. Read the latest on the storm damage.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 20, 2026, 4:59 AM EDT

Source: RNZ Pacific

Mount Cook: The Wright Street Deluge

In Mount Cook, Jane Loughnan awoke at 4:30 AM to find the Pāpāwai Stream had burst its banks, sending a wall of debris and water down the lower end of Wright Street. The surge was powerful enough to float at least half a dozen cars, leaving them scattered like toys as the water receded.

"There was water down the bottom of my path, which has never happened before," Loughnan said. On Monday morning, the community spirit was in full force as neighbors armed with shovels, brooms, and hoses worked to clear thick layers of mud from the footpaths. Tow trucks have arrived on the scene, though operators are reportedly "scratching their heads" over how to remove the tangled, water-logged vehicles.

Ōwhiro Bay: Cars Swept to Sea

Further south, the situation at Ōwhiro Bay was even more severe. The Ōwhiro Stream, usually a modest waterway, turned into what resident Jess Allen described as a "raging" force that washed several cars completely out to sea.

Allen reported that at least one car is currently submerged in the river mouth on the beach, while three others remain missing. The flash flood was so rapid that families on Happy Valley Road were forced to evacuate through windows to reach safety at neighboring houses. "Debris is everywhere—I’ve even seen a fridge floating in the floodwaters," Allen told RNZ.