- Around 150 properties on Moir Street and Old Waipu Road remain without power on Monday after a tornado-like storm swept through the Northland township of Mangawhai about 3am on Sunday morning
- At least 50 homes were damaged, with 17 buildings yellow-stickered and nine white-stickered
- The daughter of a woman flown to Auckland Hospital with "lacerations and broken bones" on Sunday says she is thankful her mum made it out alive
A Mangawhai resident says the tornado-like storm that struck early on Sunday felt like a truck hitting his house.
The Northland town was hit by high winds in the early hours, damaging 50 houses and knocking down power poles, power lines and trees.
Resident Grant Noonan was awake when it began, and told Morning Report it quick, violent, and loud.
"Lying in bed, it sort of was an eerie feeling. Things started moving sideways and back and forth, and the 'boom', it was like a truck had hit our house."
"It was horrific. My wife woke up screaming. It was quick, it was violent, it was loud."
On Sunday, Fire and Emergency's Northland district manager Wipari Henwood said the initial estimate was 50 homes which had been damaged.
Fire and Emergency Northland district manager Wipari Henwood on the ground at Mangawhai. Photo: Peter De Graaf
Speaking to Morning Report on Monday, Kaipara Civil Defence Emergency Management controller John Burt said 17 buildings have been yellow-stickered and a further nine white-stickered.
Close to 5000 properties were without initally power in the Mangawhai, Mangawhai Heads and Langs Beach area on Sunday, but Northpower said that number had since reduced to 146 on Moir Street and Old Waipu Road.
It said it would be returning to Old Waipu Road on Monday morning to continue repairs and pole replacement work.
Burt, talking to RNZ's Midday Report later in the day, said they had been doing door-to-door to do welfare checks. Staff had also been delivering milk, bread and water to residents.
"The situation is improving. We've got Northpower - the local lines company - working hard, restoring the power to the last 200 homes in Mangawhai Village, which don't have power," he told RNZ's Midday Report.
"We've just recently been able to drop the last cordon that was in place restricting access to any area of Old Waipu Road.
"And this morning we've had the New Zealand response team, a couple of Auckland-based teams, knocking and talking to residents and just giving them information and providing them with the opportunity to, you know, for any damage and stuff that they need to address urgently."
He said for the last 200 homes still without power, the estimated restoration time remained 5pm Monday.
"Most people are fine. We've dropped things a lot like bottled water, milk, and bread for anybody that needed it, earlier today. But most people are just really wanting to be able to be able to start the clean-up in earnest, and once the power lines have been restored, the insurance assessors and contractors can get in and start doing some of those repairs."
People were in good spirits and being "stoic" despite the destruction, Burt said.
'So thankful she made it out alive'
Meanwhile, Jade Johnson Price's mum was flown to Auckland Hospital by helicopter in a serious condition on Sunday.
Her grandfather, 81-year-old Alan Johnson, told RNZ she had lacerations and broken bones after the top floor of his house on Old Waipu Road was destroyed in the storm.
Alan Johnson outside his Old Waipu Road home on Sunday. Photo: Peter de Graaf / RNZ
At the time, Johnson said he was still in shock, but was relieved his daughter, Tina Johnson, was okay.
She remained in Auckland Hospital with her daughter, Johnson added.
Johnson Price said her mum was in surgery on Sunday night.
"My mum has been awake and talking most of the day and has been conscious throughout the whole ordeal.
"She remembers what happened and is so thankful for all her neighbors who rushed out to help her this morning - I'm incredibly grateful too.
"We're both so thankful she made it out alive!"
Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel
On Sunday morning, a neighbour of Johnson, who did not wish to be named, told RNZ he had rushed outside after he heard her screaming.
"I heard some screaming in the distance. That's when I chucked on my shoes, ran to this lady whose house got completely annihilated.
"She was taken out of her home, swept out of the top floor, through the walls, down to her lower roof.
"She was covered in a lot of blood, and I'm pretty sure she had a bone sticking out of her leg, and it looked like there was a bone sticking out of her arm."
