A 200m stretch of Waimate North Rd is inundated by a flooded Waitangi River. Photo / Peter de Graaf
A 200m stretch of Waimate North Rd is inundated by a flooded Waitangi River. Photo / Peter de Graaf
A dramatic rescue saw two men plucked from a sinking tractor and their six dogs rescued at the height of this weekend's once-in-500-year storm which has slammed Northland.
The two men were stuck on a tractor for three hours due to rising floodwaters overnight Friday near Kaitaia before lifeguards Kane Matuschka and Thom Anderson came to the rescue.
After successfully getting the two men off the tractor and back to the roadside, the farmers asked if the lifeguards could also rescue their six dogs. A second trip in the IRB was taken and all six dogs were rescued from a nearby property.
Further south, a pregnant woman in pre-term labour had to be airlifted from her Kaikohe home as floods and slips closed roads around her.
Community midwife Justine O'Dwyer got the call at 4am Saturday morning saying the woman, who was only 29 weeks' pregnant and lives in Kaikohe, needed help.
A pregnant woman in pre-term labour has been airlifted out of Kaikohe as floods and slips closed roads around her. Photo / Supplied
O'Dwyer braved flooded roads to travel between Kerikeri and Kaikohe to reach the woman, who was with a GP.
"There was lots of water on the road but thankfully by the time I went through, the flooding was isolated to half the road so I could at least go on some of the dry parts."
Time was of the essence and they called a Priority 1 ambulance to try to get the woman to Whangārei Hospital, but the roads were in a terrible state from the storm.
State Highway 1 south of Whangarei was down to one lane after a washout near Loop Rd.
Further north, the Mangamuka Gorge to Kaitaia on SH1 was closed due to significant slips.
Other roads across the region had been affected by slips and flooding and crews had been out checking bridges were safe and free of flood debris, said Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Northland system manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.
"Our advice is for people to delay their travel if possible as our crews work across the network to make it safe for all road users. We know there will be families wanting to get home from school holidays, but safety is our priority."
A whirlpool forms in a Waimate North paddock as floodwater is sucked through a culvert. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The once-in-500-year storm has also caused shops and houses to flood, forcing some residents to evacuate their homes.
Northland isn't the only area battling heavy rain; rural residents near Gisborne have also been forced to evacuate homes because of downpours and flooding.
The rain led rivers in Gisborne's Tolaga Bay water catchment region to flow at the highest levels seen since 2005, Gisborne District Council spokesman Dave Wilson said.
The Hikuwai River peaked at a level of 12.25m at 9am yesterday and is the third highest on record since 1975.
At least five houses at Mangatuna have been cut off, with residents from three others choosing to evacuate.
Deputy Civil Defence officer Norrie Parata said others were too late to get out, but they were safe.
A dog walker struggles with her umbrella in the wind and rain, along King Edward Parade, Devonport, Auckland. Photo / Brett Phibbs
MetService said localised downpours and possible thunderstorms were expected to continue until Wednesday in Northland and most of the east coast of the North Island.
"There's a low pressure over the Tasman Sea that is moving very slowing and bringing humid wet weather," MetService meteorologist Andy Best said.
