Three men, one using a chainsaw to cut down a fallen tree on Moir Street. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf By Peter de Graaf of RNZ The township of Mangawhai has been described as looking like a war zone. Houses have been destroyed, roofs torn off, debris scattered across the roads, power poles ripped off the base, and trees snapped like twigs after a tornado hit Northland overnight.
Two people were taken to hospital in a serious condition. One was flown to Auckland Hospital by helicopter and the other was taken to North Shore Hospital. Kaipara District Mayor Craig Jepson said at least four homes were destroyed, but the numbers displaced will be much higher.
"There's a whole heap of them that have temporary tarpaulins on their roofs, missing their roofs. A lot of those people have now moved on and gone with friends or relatives or been put by the generosity of other people in our community." Jepson said there is a huge clean up job ahead.
"Quite frankly, I was blown away by what I saw - excuse the pun." Fire and Emergency Northland district manager Wipari Henwood said the initial estimate is 50 homes damaged, but he expected that number will go up due to homes and businesses in the wider area damaged by falling trees. Kaipara Civil Defence Emergency Management Local Controller John Burt said building inspectors have been doing rapid building assessments.
Three properties have been yellow stickered, which restricts access to the building, while one was white stickered, which warns .
