Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews were called to the area on April 20. Large branches had been strewn across the road overnight.<\/p>\n
Kerikeri Fire Brigade station officer Andy Hamberger said fire crews ensured the area was safe including from any hanging branches. <\/p>\n
He said the redwood trees should be removed as a priority. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe do have a concern going forward with high winds going through there. <\/p>\n
\u201cI can understand the logistics of removing them, they\u2019ll [council] have to move a lot of people out of their houses and potentially close the supermarket down, but I would suggest with the storms increasing it moves up the list.\u201d <\/p>\n
Resident Susie Roberts said the latest storm, which she believed was a mini-tornado, woke her about 3am. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounded like a train coming through. <\/p>\n
\u201cI heard a crash, it must have been the limb coming down, then it went to absolute silence. There was a rush of noise then nothing.\u201d <\/p>\n
Fire crews and police ensure Wendywood Lane in Kerikeri is safe from loose branches falling off redwood trees following a recent storm.<\/p>\n
Roberts was concerned about loose branches falling on children walking to school under the stand of trees. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a worry – we\u2019re all holding our breath down Wendywood,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
MetService meteorologist Katie Lyons said an \u201corganised line\u201d of thunderstorms and heavy rain had moved across Northland on April 19, hitting Kait\u0101ia, Kaikohe and Kerikeri overnight. <\/p>\n
The storm brought wind gusts of up to 115km\/h, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would have gone from not much to extremely windy very quickly.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Northern Advocate recently reported residents\u2019 concerns<\/a> on the long-standing issue of two stands of rotting redwood trees beside Hawkings Crescent and Wendywood Lane. <\/p>\n While the trees on Hawkings Cres were removed in March<\/a>, the Far North District Council has reiterated that there is no date for removing the trees on Wendywood Lane.<\/p>\n