Source: Radio New Zealand
Rāwene residents are being urged to conserve water after a water main broke under Parnell Street, the town’s main street. Supplied / FNDC
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania says he’s breathing a huge sigh of relief after his district escaped serious damage from Cyclone Vaianu.
The district was the first to feel the effects of the cyclone on Saturday night, but the storm took a path further to the east than initially predicted, limiting its impact on Northland.
However, some areas, such as Whangārei’s central city, were lashed by more than 130mm of rain in a 24-hour period, and winds of 110km/h were recorded at Cape Reinga.
A buoy off the Bay of Islands recorded a maximum wave height of 10.8m on Saturday afternoon.
Tepania said the outcome was a huge relief.
“All of the reports that are coming in – and not just through our Emergency Operations Centre intelligence lines, but also the good old kūmara vine and our Kaitiaki Response Network on the ground – are showing us that the effects of Cyclone Vaianu have been very limited,” he said.
“Power outages, a few roofs that have blown off, but all in all, our roading networks made it through and rivers never breached warning levels. So I’m very grateful.”
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania. Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ
However, it was too soon to relax entirely.
Emergency responders had learned from Cyclone Gabrielle that the tail end of a cyclone, when the wind abruptly switched direction, could still cause damage such as downed trees and power lines, especially the soil was sodden.
“But all indications are that we have dodged a bullet this time around,” Tepania said.
Tepania urged anyone who had been affected by the cyclone but had not yet contacted the council or Civil Defence should call 0800 920 029 so staff could respond.
An estimated 50 families opted to evacuate their homes before the storm hit, with most spending the night at marae or community centres.
In some cases, entire settlements, such as Taemaro Bay, near Mangonui, self-evacuated and sought shelter at Kenana Marae.
Only six homes were evacuated on council orders, all on Wendywood Lane in Kerikeri.
Tepania said the homes were near a stand of large redwood trees, one of which had fallen in a previous storm.
Those residents were able to go home on Sunday afternoon.
Tepania said he was hugely grateful to the district’s Kaitiaki Response Network, community response groups, Te Rūnanga-ā-Iwi o Ngāpuhi and others for setting up evacuation centres in town halls and marae across Northland.
The mayor said having to endure three major storms since the start of the year had been tough on Northlanders, despite their often-touted resilience.
Kaitāia flooding after heavy rain, March 2026. Supplied FNDC
Just two weeks ago many people had been badly affected by floods in Kaitāia, Awanui and the Hokianga settlements of Panguru, Pawarenga, Whirinaki, Wekaweka Valley and Waimamaku.
Since then, Tepania said he and some councillors had met many affected people.
“We’ve been out and about in relief hubs talking to whānau and they’re crying in front of you because they’ve lost everything. There’s a heck of a lot of anxiety from them, and from community leaders as well – and then you get a tropical cyclone heading towards us,” he said.
“So the anxiety levels were incredibly high even as we went into this and that’s why it’s been so important to make sure whānau are informed, they know how ready all of the agencies are, and that they listen to the official advice.”
“There’s a huge sense of relief across there today, but also a lot of weariness because it has been really hard. We always say we’re resilient as Northlanders and we know our taiao [environment], we know our awa [rivers], we know our communities, but it does get you down because it takes a heck of a lot of adrenaline, waking hours and anxiety.
“I’m praying to the weather gods that they give us a little bit of respite, so we can have a breather and a rest and recharge.”
Tepania said he believed Northlanders were getting better at preparing for storms and heeding advice about staying safe.
In the March floods, firefighters had been frustrated about the number of rescues they had to carry out after people tried to drive through floodwaters.
This time, however, emergency services told him far fewer people had risked their lives trying to take on flooded roads.
“People are taking things seriously and that’s what we want,” he said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
