This house in Tikipunga has been deemed dangerous and not fit for occupation after last weekend's storm, along with three other homes in Whangārei.
This house in Tikipunga has been deemed dangerous and not fit for occupation after last weekend's storm, along with three other homes in Whangārei.
Four homes in Whangārei have been deemed dangerous and uninhabitable after damage caused by last weekend's storm.
Flooding and slips caused widespread damage to roads and properties after the storm overnight Friday/Saturday dumped more than 220mm of rain on Northland.
Whangārei District Council chief executive Rob Forlong said 65 homes that had to be evacuated or were inundated with floodwaters from the storm had been inspected and four, including in Tikipunga, Onerahi and the northern coastal area, had been deemed dangerous and could not be lived in at this stage.
The homeowners will have to deal with their insurance companies to determine what happens next.
Forlong said more homes may fall into the category once further inspections have been carried out.
He said there are a large number of slips cross the district and asked people for patience as contractors would be prioritising the most serious ones first.
Forlong said if people had slips outside their place and felt the council was not doing anything about them, they could be assured contractors would get to them as soon as possible.
However, given the large number of slips, some could subside further or worsen if there was more heavy rain over the coming days.
''When you think about it, it's been a year from hell really. First we had the drought, then Covid, then major flooding. But what we have seen is the resilience of our communities, who got stuck in together to help each other during the worst of things,'' Forlong said.
He said of the 65 homes inspected, damage from slips and floods were the main issues, with lots of water flowing through homes and garages.
A slip under Moureeses Bridge, on Rockell Rd, Whananaki, is one of the priority repairs for Whangārei District Council after last weekend's storm. Photo / Jackie Cooper
''We are still assessing damage to WDC assets, but it will be in the millions. Given the size of the event [a one-in-500-year storm] you can't really design a system to be able to cope with that sort of event.
''We will be asking the Government about what help they can provide to help pay for the repairs.''
Forlong said a number of slips and dropouts had affected the district's roads, with one of the worst-hit being the road to Moureeses Bay, where the storm took out some of the ground under Moureeses Bridge, which was another priority repair.
Work on the bridge would continue over the weekend, and the road may be closed at times while the work progresses.
State Highway 14 between Whangārei and Dargaville has been reduced to one lane at Tangiteroria because of a slip.
There was a minor slip by the side of the road after the weekend's heavy rain in Northland, but a crack has since been discovered in the road.
The road has been reduced to one lane under stop/go traffic management for the safety of all road users while the movement of the slip is investigated further.
In the Far North, the Mangamuka Gorge on SH1 remains closed by a number of slips. Road crews have been clearing slips on the southern side but several slips near the summit on the northern side are still moving.
