Weather event update – May 2023

As of 9am, Saturday 6 May 2023

• The Orange Heavy Rain Warning issued by MetService for Northland expired at 6am today (Saturday 6 May) and has not been extended.
• Civil Defence has decided to stand down the Emergency Operations Centre at our Kaikohe headquarters. Key staff will continue to monitor the situation.
• There were heavy falls of rain last night around Kaitāia and along the east coast between Kerikeri and Whangarei, so please drive with caution as there may still be surface flooding.
• River levels peaked overnight and are now dropping.
• There were no serious incidents reported overnight to emergency services. 
• If you need council assistance for a weather-related issue, please lodge a request for service by following this link

 

Road

Road Status

Road Damage

Sandhills Road

Road Closed (Access at Ahipara or Awanui Ends)

Surface Flooding

 

Other roads with restricted access include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Foreshore Road	Open with caution	Over slip
Hooks and Halls Rd	Road passable - caution required	Fallen tree
Inland Road	Open-caution required	Surface flooding
Kaitaia Awaroa Road	Open-caution required	Surface flooding
Kerikeri Rd	Road passable - caution required	Flooding
Pawarenga Road	Open with caution	Over slip
Pokapu Rd	Road passable - caution required	Flooding
Runaruna	Passable-4wd	Under Slip
School Gulley Road	Passable-4wd	Surface flooding
Waiotehue Road	Open with caution	Over slip
Waiotemarama Gorge Rd	Road passable - caution required	Slip/fallen tree
Wekaweka Rd	Road passable - caution required	Large boulders on road.
Whangape Road	Passable-4wd	Surface flooding
Wireless Road	Open-caution required	Surface flooding

 

 

 

As of 4pm, Friday 5 May 2023

• MetService Te Ratonga Tirorangi- Orange Heavy Rain Warning for Northland is extended to 6am Saturday 6 May.
• Further rain is expected through the rest of Friday and into Saturday, particularly in Kaitāia and the West Coast.
• The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) continues to be staffed and is monitoring the weather situation tonight and Saturday.
• The Rāwene to Kohukohu passenger-only ferry continues to operate as per schedule.
• Five roads are closed in the Far North due to surface flooding.
• Kaitāia-Awaroa Road, Commerce Street and Larmers Road in Kaitāia have now opened.
• Fifteen roads have restricted access. Of those, six are passable with a four-wheel drive vehicle, others are passable with caution. Please see the list below for details.

 

Roads closures include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Inland Road, Karikari	Closed - use Inland Road bypass road	Surface Flooding
Peria Road, Peria	Closed	Surface Flooding
Sandhills Road, Ahipara	Closed	Surface Flooding
Taumata Road, Tāipa	Closed	Surface Flooding
Whangape Road, Herekino	Closed	Surface Flooding

 

Other roads with restricted access include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Bell Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Church Road, Kaitāia	Passable-Caution Required	Wash out
Clough Road, Kaitāia	Open With Caution ( Flood is in the middle of a through road access from either end)	Surface Flooding
Duncan Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Hooks and Hall Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - Caution Required	Fallen Tree
Kerikeri Road	Road Passable - Caution Required	Flooding
Mangatoetoe Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Miro Place, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Pokapu Road, Matawaia	Road Passable - Caution Required	Flooding
School Gulley Road, Kāeo	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Waiotehue Road, Takahue	Open With Caution	Over Slip
Waiotemarama Gorge Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - Caution Required	Slip/Fallen Tree
Wekaweka Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - Caution Required	Large boulders on road
West Coast Road	One Lane	Over Slip
Wireless Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding

As of 12pm, 5 May 2023

• MetService - Te Ratonga Tirorangi - Orange Heavy Rain Warning for Northland extended to 6am Saturday 6 May. 
• The forecast to 6am Saturday (6 May) for Northland - in addition to the 50 to 70 mm that has already accumulated, expect a further 70 to 100 mm of rainfall.
• Four roads remain closed in the Far North due to surface flooding.
• Kaitāia-Awaroa Road and Commerce Street, Kaitāia have now opened.
• Thirteen roads continue to have restricted access due to flooding, overslips, wash outs or fallen trees etc.
• Of those 13 roads, five are passable with a four-wheel drive vehicle, others are passable with caution. Please see the list below for details.

Roads closures include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Taumata Road, Taipā	Closed	Surface Flooding
Whangape Road, Herekino	Closed	Surface Flooding
Peria Road, Peria	Closed	Surface Flooding
Inland Road, Karikari	Closed - use Inland Road bypass road	Surface Flooding

 

 

Other roads with restricted access include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Kaitāia-Awaroa Road, Kaitāia	Open	Surface Flooding, fallen tree and overslip
Commerce Street, Kaitāia	Open	Surface Flooding
Miro Place, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Mangatoetoe Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Clough Road, Kaitāia	Open with caution (flood is in middle of through road access)	Surface Flooding
West Coast Road	One Lane	Over Slip
Waiotehue Road, Takahue	Open with caution	Over Slip
Duncan Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding and fallen tree
Wireless Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Bell Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Church Road, Kaitāia	Passable-caution required	Wash out
Larmers Road, Kaitāia	One Lane	Over Slip
Waiotemarama Gorge Road	Road Passable - caution required	Slip/Fallen Tree
Hooks and Halls Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - caution required	Fallen Tree
Wekaweka Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - caution required	Large boulders on road

 

As of 8am, 5 May 2023

• There are now four roads closed in the Far North due to surface flooding and several others passable with caution or by 4-wheel-drive vehicles only. See the list below for details.
• There is a chance of localised flooding on coastal roads with high tides. Tides will be high on the Hokianga at 9.40am and 10pm, and at Whangaroa at 7.30am  and 8pm.
• Our Emergency Operations Centre at council headquarters - which includes staff from the fire service, civil defence, NZ Defence Force and others – remains in place today and is continuing to monitor the weather.
• The Awanui and Kāeo rivers are being closely monitored.
• MetService is predicting periods of heavy rain this morning for Kaitāia, possibly thundery, but then turning to showers. There is a chance of surface flooding around Kaitāia.   
• If you need council assistance for a weather-related issue, please lodge a request for service by following this link

Roads closures include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Kaitāia-Awaroa Road, Kaitāia (Past Roma Road Heading To Herekino)	Closed	Surface Flooding
Peria Road, Peria	Closed	Surface Flooding
Taumata Road, Taipā	Closed	Surface Flooding
Whangape Road, Herekino	Closed	Surface Flooding

 

Other roads with restricted access include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Clough Road, Kaitāia	Open With Caution	Surface Flooding
Duncan Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Hooks and Halls Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - Caution Required	Fallen Tree
Mangatoetoe Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Miro Place, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Waiotehue Road, Takahue	Open With Caution	Over Slip
Waiotemarama Gorge Road,Waimamaku	Road Passable - Caution Required	Slip/Fallen Tree
Wekaweka Road	Road Passable - Caution Required	Boulders on road
West Coast Road	One Lane	Over Slip

 

As of 4pm, 4 May 2023

Roads closures include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Taumata Road, Taipā	Closed	Surface Flooding
Whangape Road, Herekino	Closed	Surface Flooding

Other roads with restricted access include:

Clough Road, Kaitāia	Open With Caution	Surface Flooding
Hooks and Halls Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - Caution Required	Fallen Tree
Kaitāia-Awaroa Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Mangatoetoe Road, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Miro Place, Kaitāia	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Peria Road,  Peria	Passable-4wd	Surface Flooding
Waiotehue Road, Takahue	Open With Caution	Over Slip
Waiotemarama Gorge Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - Caution Required	Slip/Fallen Tree
West Coast Road	One Lane	Over Slip

 

As of 12pm, 4 May 2023

An update on the status of roads in the Far North as a result of the current rain event.

Roads closures include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Taumata Road, Taipā	Closed	Surface Flooding
Whangape Road, Herekino	Closed	Surface Flooding

 

Other roads with restricted access include:

Road	Road Status	Road Damage
Kaitaia-Awaroa Road	Passable for 4wd vechicles	Surface Flooding - past Roma Road heading to Herekino & before Rangikohu Road
Commerce Street, Kaitāia	Open	Surface Flooding
Omaunu Road, Kāeo	Open	Surface Flooding
Miro Place, Kaitāia	Passable for 4wd vechicles	Surface Flooding
Kaitaia Awaroa Road, Herekino Gorge	One Lane	Fallen Tree and overslip
Peria Road, Peria	Passable for 4wd vechicles	Surface Flooding
Mangatoetoe Road, Kaitāia	Passable for 4wd vechicles	Surface Flooding
Waiotemarama Gorge Road, Waimamaku	Road Passable - Caution Required	Fallen Tree

 

As of 10am, 4 May 2023

• MetService - Te Ratonga Tirorangi - has extended the Orange Heavy Rain Warning and Severe Thunderstorm watch for Northland until 9am Friday 5 May. Expect 80 to 130 mm of rain on top of what has already fallen, mainly in the north and west. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h but up to 35 mm/h possible in localised places. Impacts expected are surface flooding and possible slips, making driving conditions hazardous.

• Rāwene to Kohukohu ferry is operating as per schedule, however the passenger-only service has been experiencing high winds and staff continue to monitor the situation. 

• Three roads in the Far North have been impacted and are listed below. We will update this regularly.

Road	Road status	Road damage
Kaitāia- Awaroa Road	Road closed	Currently 4WD accessible as water recedes
Taumata Road, Taipā	Road closed	Surface flooding
Whangape Road, Herekino	Road closed	Surface flooding
Omaunu Road, Kāeo	Road open	Surface flooding overnight

 

As of 8am, 4 May 2023

• MetService New Zealand has issued an Orange Heavy Rain Warning and Severe Thunderstorm watch for Northland until 9pmThursday 4 May.
• Kerikeri Council Service Centre and Proctor Library is closed due to a water outage in Kerikeri.
• Rawene Passenger Ferry is operating as per schedule, however the wind speed is currently up, and being monitored.
• One road in the Far North has been impacted so far. Our contractors are inspecting the road network and responding to customer callouts. We will update our list of affected roads regularly. 

Road	Road status
Kaitāia- Awaroa Road	Surface flooding, ROAD CLOSED

 

As of 8pm, 3 May 2023

• Thursday 4 May council meeting 100% online (find out more below).

• From midday today (Wednesday 3 May), MetService issued an Orange Heavy Rain Warning for Northland. It is forecasting 100 -130mm of rain with peak rates of 10 - 20mm per hour and up to 40mm per hour during thunderstorms. It is still uncertain how severe this weather system may become and what areas of Northland could be impacted.
• As a precaution, the council, emergency services and Civil Defence partner agencies have begun preparations in case we need to respond urgently to protect life and property.
• We will publish updates on road closures, flooding or any other public safety messages as soon as information becomes available here tomorrow (Thursday 4 May).

Council meeting

It has been decided to hold the Thursday 4 May council meeting 100% online with virtual attendance by all councillors, staff and members of the public. This decision was taken for safety reasons and will prevent unnecessary travel for meeting participants. Members of the public can view the meeting online via the FNDC YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@FarNorthDistrictCouncil