Footage of flooding in Turkuaz Cafe, Whangarei. Video / Supplied
Businesses in Whangārei worst hit by the recent deluge were left to clean-up rather than trade on arguably the busiest day of the week.
For some, it will take a good part of this week to dry the carpets and finish mopping up after torrential rain on Friday evening damaged stock and left debris in their stores.
The Hospice Shop outlet on Walton St will probably re-open on Thursday and retail manager Kathy McMillan said the smell from water seeping into the store was "horrific".
She said well over half the showroom was flooded and people have been brought in to do the clean-up, together with the Hospice volunteers.
Hospice Store retail manager Kathy McMillan supervises the clean up before the shop re-opens later this week.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Turkuaz Cafe on Rathbone St had up to 300mm of water inundate it as a family had just finished dinner on Friday before they helped staff move things to higher grounds.
Cafe owner Ferhat Dogonay it was the first time in the five years he had been running the business that water came inside the store.
"The firefighters came and advised us to switch off the main power. We went home but I came back at midnight and was cleaning up until 4am. There were heaps of other businesses owners doing the same at that time.
"It was like the second wave of Covid arriving. It's very difficult for businesses to keep shutting shop while continue to pay huge taxes and other overheads," he said.
Next door, The Cabbage Tree Cafe also closed on Saturday but was back trading yesterday. "My dad came to check at 11pm on Friday and everything was okay. I think the floodwaters came into my shop sometime after midnight which meant we had to spend Saturday cleaning up," owner Henry Wu said.
Water got to the area adjacent to the front counter only.
Across the road, Helloworld Travel had 150mm of water into its business premises, cutting off computer and telephone links.
Owner Lynne Bennett said it was ironic only some businesses on Rathbone St bore the brunt of the stormy weather, although all were on the same street.
"It's a double whammy. We are really busy but are refunding money to customers so we're really going backwards," she said.
Whangārei Budgeting Services was lucky the water lapped at the front door but did not seep inside. However, part of the footpath in front of the business slumped which co-ordinator Dianne Clarke said could be a health and safety issue.
Businesses on Kaka St in Morningside were hit hard after Friday's rain flooded a nearby creek which ran in between Morningside School and businesses including Mitre 10 MEGA, Neil McLeod Upholstery and Insignia Signs.
Staff at Mitre 10 in Whangārei cleaning up after last weekend's deluge.
Photo / Supplied
The damage to the Mitre 10 MEGA's garden centre and timber yard could cost up to tens of thousands of dollars, according to store owner Peter Rogers-Jenkins.
McLeod, whose business neighboured Mitre 10, said over 600mm of water had gone through his shop, destroying fabric and other upholstery materials.
In 2007, a similar-sized flood caused about $50,000 of damage which was covered by insurance. With less stock than he had in 2007, McLeod said he anticipated a smaller bill this time and he hoped his insurance would cover it.
Neil McLeod of Neil McLeod Upholstery was among dozens of businesses owners around Whangārei cleaning up after the weekend flood. Photo / Michael Cunningham
McLeod said he had been in discussion with local councils regarding flood management in the area. He said it was important people learned from last weekend's flood.
"We've just had a drought, how many times do you see people cleaning the leaves out of the gutters that block all the drains? There was a lot of rain, but you've got to do your maintenance."
Despite the damage, McLeod said he was open for business.
Insignia Signs owner KynDarrah said he had lost about 90 per cent of his stock of vinyl and other printing material in Friday's storm, which would cost about $5000 out of his own pocket.
Pumps at BP on Riverside Dr are still off-limits after floodwater inundated the forecourt area. Photo / Michael Cunningham
While the loss was substantial, it could have been made worse by the loss of Darrah's CNC router - a machine which cut three-dimensional shapes and was worth about $60,000. Darrah said he hoped the router would survive with a bit of drying.
Darrah believed he had enough stock to last him the next couple of months while he bought more in. He said the shop would be up and running today. The BP on Riverside Drive, which suffered extensive flooding after Friday's storm, has opened its store front but its gas pumps remain cordoned off.
The Northern Advocate understands the pumps could be operational, however, the station's interceptor pit - which is used to contain a spill of hazardous materials - had been filled by stormwater and was unable to drain into its usual culvert, as the culvert had collapsed during Friday's storm.
The Northern Advocate understands it is a legal requirement of a fuel station to have its interceptor pit clear when gas pumps are in operation.
The Whangārei District Council confirmed contractors had been on the site yesterday and planned to dig a drain today which would empty the pit and allow the pumps to operate.
