North mops up after wet weekend

Kawakawa deputy chief fire officer Annette Wynyard wades through floodwaters at a Pembroke St home. Photo/Peter de Graaf

A major clean up is underway across Northland as floodwaters from one of the fiercest storms in a decade finally start to recede.

One of the worst-hit areas on Friday night, in the storm's second belt of heavy rain, was the Otiria-Moerewa valley. There, weary volunteers from the Kawakawa Fire Brigade were on their sixth consecutive day of responding to floods and fallen trees, and their second day of pumping out properties in low-lying streets.

Deputy fire chief Annette Wynyard said the brigade spent eight hours pumping out homes on Pembroke and Ranfurly St yesterday, and ten hours on Plunket St the day before. In most cases water had only entered sheds and garages, but at least one resident, a 74-year-old woman, had to be evacuated from her Plunket St home on Friday night.

The home of Pembroke St resident Pania Cooper was still surrounded by water yesterday but the flood had stopped just short of entering the house.

"On Friday night it was like a river coming down the street," she said. Her husband woke her up at 2am concerned for grandchildren staying overnight, so they took them to the evacuation centre at the Christian Fellowship hall.

Mrs Cooper said everyone had been helping each other, but she singled out the volunteer firefighters for special praise.

"They've been absolutely awesome," she said.

Meanwhile, on nearby Sir James Henare Place, Jack Brown was battling new springs which had started under his basement and in his lawn. He had three pumps running 24/7 since Saturday but as soon as he stopped pumping his basement flooded.

Field officer Craig Mahon said a hydrotruck was clearing drains, portaloos had been placed along the streets for people with septic tank problems, and skips had been put out for flood-damaged property.

There was no definitive number yesterday of homes inundated with water. However he was not aware of any contaminated by sewage.

Mrs Wynyard said her firefighters were holding up well considering the long hours of the past six days.

"It's a tribute to them and their care for the community, but they are looking forward to a bit of respite," she said.

The town was in good spirits and its emergency response plan had worked well in its first major test.

"The last flood, in 2011, really galvanised the town. They're really well prepared now, with sandbags, evacuation plans, and welfare centre serving hot food to anyone who needed it."

Meanwhile, efforts by lines company Top Energy to restore power to isolated communities continue.

Chief executive Russell Shaw said about 100 households would be without power today, most of which had lost power during the weekend due to flooding in Moerewa and a slip in Wekaweka Valley in South Hokianga. The slip had taken out four power poles and made the road impassable, but linemen would try to walk in today with equipment and replacement poles.

Roughly 17,500 properties throughout Northland were without power at the height of the storm.