Storm causes no major damage in Northland, leaving some without power

An accident that brought down powerlines on State Highway 12, Kaikohe, on Thursday evening. Photo/ Debbie Beadle

A tropical storm predicted to cause major problems in Northland as it swept down the country has left the region with only relatively minor damage, despite heavy rain, winds up to 161kmh and large swells.

The weather bomb saw one Dargaville family evacuated as the winds threatened to blow the roof off their home and the town itself saw shops sandbagged to stop them being inundated by the high tide that lapped into the main street - Victoria St - from around 3.30pm yesterday.

The storm caused widespread chaos from Auckland south after dumping huge amounts of rain, strong winds and big sea swells around the country over Thursday and yesterday. Northland was initially predicted to get the first battering from the storm, but its destructive powers were felt mostly from Auckland south.

The storm still left many Northlanders without power as winds brought trees down on to powerlines, with surface flooding the other main sign of the heavy rain that dumped almost 100mm of rain on parts of the region. The wind was recorded at 161km/h in Kaeo.

A mother and daughter had to leave their home at the Dargaville Museum in a rush because of loose roofing material caused by the storm.

Sami-Jade Vanbuskirk and her mother Nancy Summers were told to pack one bag each and leave the flat above the museum's Lighthouse Function Centre early yesterday morning. Museum manager Marie Saunders said she asked the women to leave because the wind had pried some flashing loose above the entrance to the building. She also notified the Dargaville Fire Brigade who went there to check the roof.

The museum had a responsibility to ensure the tenants' safety, Ms Saunders said.

Ms Vanbuskirk described the need to evacuate from the building and a firefighter's warning of the potential danger of flying roofing material as frightening. The museum has relocated the pair to a nearby hotel until the roof is fixed.

Parts of Dargaville were in danger of flooding while elsewhere in town the taps ran dry. A few streets were without tap water for several hours yesterdayafter a stormwater pump failed near the corner of Carrington and Churchill Sts.

Meanwhile, pressure on the floodgates along the Northern Wairoa River threatened to deluge Dargaville yesterday afternoon when the king high tide came upriver. But there was only slight spillage over the embankment along the town's river frontage after the meeting of the tide and run-off, nothing like floods in previous years which had required major sandbagging.

''It was only surface water and it didn't reach any buildings or the main street,'' Kaipara District Council spokesman Ben Hope said.

The heaviest rain, from Northland Regional Council figures, fell at Waimamaku, 75km north west of Dargaville, where 97.5mm was recorded in the 24 hours to 4pm yesterday.Northland Civil Defence spokesman Murray Soljak said no major emergencies were reported despite heavy rain and strong winds in places.

Far North Civil Defence co-ordinator Alastair Wells said the main issue was downed trees blocking roads and bringing down powerlines. The Fire Service had about 40 calls across Northland on Thursday night to clear fallen trees. Despite the heavy rain and king tide no significant flooding or road closures had been reported.

Northland harbourmaster Jim Lyle said several boats had broken their moorings and been washed up around the Bay of Islands, but overall the damage inflicted by the storm was ''not too bad''.

Top Energy spokeswoman Philippa White said about 2000 households around the Far North were without power overnight Thursday/yesterday.

Repairs could take until late yesterday. Areas without power included the area between Hukerenui and Maromaku, Pakaraka, Rawene, Kohukohu and Horeke, Mangamuka, the south side of Whangaroa Harbour, Totara North and Herekino. Northpower recorded outages in Baylys Beach, Glinks Gully, Mahuta, Omamari, Redhill, Ararua, Porter Rd, Poyner Rd, Kai Iwi, Mamaranui, Maropiu Settlement Rd, Waihue.