Weston said the northeast coast was vulnerable, speaking about Kaiikanui Rd, which was impassable earlier this morning because of flooding.<\/p>\n
The road closure meant the \u014cakura coast had been cut off. Access to the area has been hampered since a large slip closed Russell Rd after a storm in January.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know the roading crews are doing everything they can to keep it open, but it is a real challenge … I feel for the communities that have to use that particular road,\u201d Weston said.<\/p>\n
Floodwaters have since receded and Kaiikanui Rd has reopened.<\/p>\n
View of valley from Pigs Head Rd looking across to Whananaki Nth Rd at 9am on Sunday. Photo \/ Karen Smith<\/p>\n
Weston said swollen waterway levels are expected to slowly recede until high tide about 3pm after which they will recede more rapidly.<\/p>\n
He urged residents across the district to stay at home and \u201csit it out\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo doubt there will be more slips and more trees coming down later today, and it\u2019d probably be best to stay put, let our contractors clear the roads to try and make it as safe as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flooding in Otaika Valley. Photo \/ Maraina Latimer<\/p>\n
Gale south-westerlies are still forecast as the cyclone\u2019s centre moves southeast away from the region. <\/p>\n
MetService has lifted the heavy rain warning for Northland as of 9am. An orange wind warning is still in place.<\/p>\n
Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesman Zachary Woods said though the warning levels had eased, \u201cthat doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s going to stop raining\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are still showers forecast for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wind warnings will continue till 3pm with southwesterly gales of up to 120km\/h.\u201d<\/p>\n
MetService meteorologist Braydon White said the strongest winds so far had been at Cape R\u0113inga, 110km\/h, while Kait\u0101ia has had wind gusts of up to 65km\/h. <\/p>\n
Kerikeri had a wind gust of 75km\/h at around 10pm, while most of the night winds were around 35km\/h. <\/p>\n
The wave buoy off the Bay of Islands coast recorded a maximum height of 10.8m yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The Tutuk\u0101k\u0101 Coast on Saturday as Cyclone Vaianu approached Northland. Photo \/ Robert Perham
Rough swells at Ocean Beach on Sunday morning. Photo \/ Rachel Ward
Ruak\u0101k\u0101 Beach at low tide, 8am this morning. Photo \/ Julie Paton<\/p>\n
The highest rainfall in Northland was in Whang\u0101rei, which copped 90mm rain in the last 12 hours. <\/p>\n
Maungat\u016broto had 80mm of rain, Whananaki had 53mm, and Dargaville and Kerikeri both had 42mm.<\/p>\n
The Pipiwai | Kaikou Civil Defence team has reported \u201crivers are running very high this morning with kohu [mist] taupoki [sitting over] across the valley\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur team has been out checking on wh\u0101nau. We\u2019re advising everyone to stay safe and stay home where possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flooding on Pipiwai Rd on Sunday morning amid Cyclone Vaianu. Photo \/ Pipiwai | Kaikou Civil Defence Team
Flooding in Pipiwai. Photo \/ Pipiwai | Kaikou Civil Defence Team<\/p>\n
Tikipunga resident Teina Wells-Smith went to Whang\u0101rei Falls this morning to see the extent of the flooding.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not as bad as it was for [Cyclone] Gabrielle, so I think we\u2019re really lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whang\u0101rei Falls were roaring on Sunday morning. Photo \/ Brodie Stone
Rainfall has turned Whang\u0101rei Falls into a raging torrent. Photo \/ Brodie Stone<\/p>\n
He said recent weather events had been a lot for his wh\u0101nau on the northeast coast.<\/p>\n
Wells-Smith, a teacher, said many school children hadn\u2019t been able to get to school or had to stay with other wh\u0101nau so they could.<\/p>\n
People had a lot of time to prepare this time around, he said.<\/p>\n
” … It might not of been as big, but if it had been we would\u2019ve been ready, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whang\u0101rei resident Amy England took her son to Whang\u0101rei Falls to show him the power behind the storm.<\/p>\n
” … I think also that we need to get our kids out here to show them about what can happen overnight with weather and damages and keeping safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
England has seen several weather events in the five years she has lived in Tikipunga.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought this would be more damage, but I think this has been pretty mild compared to what it was meant to be like.\u201d<\/p>\n
England was meant to go to a sports event last night in Auckland but went home because of the warnings, which she praised.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, to get those warnings so early is preparing me … I\u2019ve got kids and I don\u2019t have a 4WD.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also think that we are just so lucky to be able to have the technology these days that tells us that, hang on, in a week or so, we\u2019re having a storm come through.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018We\u2019re alright\u2019: Far North appears to escape major damage<\/p>\n
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said it had been \u201cpretty quiet\u201d in his district so far, apart from power outages in the southeastern Bay of Islands and the Hokianga.<\/p>\n
There are now half a dozen separate power outages scattered around the Far North leaving more than 700 homes without power.<\/p>\n
According to Top Energy\u2019s outages map, there are still more than 100 homes without power in the R\u0101whiti area in the Bay of Islands. <\/p>\n
Around 500 homes are without power west of \u014ckaihau, including Horeke, Maraeroa, Utakura, and Motukaraka. <\/p>\n
Further west, 17 homes are without power in Pawarenga and 100 homes are still without power in \u014cpononi.<\/p>\n
Northpower reported its network was stable at this stage, with crews on standby.<\/p>\n
Tepania said \u201call in all we\u2019re alright\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs people wake up we\u2019ll start getting calls and information, but otherwise it looks like we\u2019ve come off lucky, which I\u2019m grateful for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Civil Defence Northland said six homes in Kerikeri were proactively evacuated yesterday evening because of the potential risk of nearby trees falling from wind gusts.<\/p>\n
The homes were on Wendywood Lane, close to a stand of large redwood trees.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe majority of residents, along with their pets, were accommodated with friends and family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Northland based fishing personality Matt Watson said the swells had eased slightly from last night\u2019s highs of around 5.5m.<\/p>\n
Watson, who lives on the waterfront on the Purerua peninsula in the Bay of Islands, said there was a bit of plant damage \u201cfrom the wind bashing them up a bit\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fishing personality Matt Watson had a front row seat to Cyclone. Photo \/ Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n
However, he\u2019s seen it a lot worse in earlier storms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lawn is mostly still there; I\u2019ll take the tractor down soon and remove the debris.<\/p>\n
\u201cA year ago Cyclone Tam was a lot worse, it was wiped out completely.<\/p>\n
\u201cComparatively, we\u2019ve got off lightly here … But with each cyclone we get a bit more resilient and so does the land.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kaipara makes it through cyclone \u2018pretty well\u2019 – Mayor<\/p>\n
Kaipara Mayor Jonathan Larsen said his district had come through Cyclone Vaianu \u201cpretty well\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a bit of surface flooding, but otherwise we haven\u2019t seen any significant issues in the district so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Larsen was conscious of the ongoing strong winds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe still need people to stay cautious as the weather system continues through today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Although Campbells Park Christian Camp had been stood down as a welfare centre, the council still wanted people to reach out if they needed welfare help on 09 439 111.<\/p>\n
Larsen was impressed with the work on the ground through his council and wider regional collaboration.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur teams have done an excellent job through the Kaipara, and the coordination of Civil Defence throughout the whole of Northland has been outstanding, so I think we\u2019re a really great team there, and it stands us in good stead for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larsen said there had been a \u201cbit of practice\u201d over the last few years when it came to weather events.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Civil Defence staff are really well trained and really committed to their work, and so I think that\u2019s just a result of that culture being embedded through our councils.\u201d<\/p>\n
Preparation \u2018made a big difference\u2019<\/p>\n
Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesman Zachary Woods thanked local communities for how prepared they were.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s made a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fire and Emergency NZ said overnight there were no instances of rescues from people driving through floodwaters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we\u2019re not completely out of the woods yet, people should keep an eye out for hazards, take care, and check the conditions and road closures.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are travelling be cautious \u2013 there could still be risks.\u201d<\/p>\n