Stay Home & Stay Safe Northland - Posted on behalf...

Alison Shrigley Reporter from Northern News

Morena Northland!
A couple of updates below from Waka Kotahi - NZ Transport Agency Northland and Civil Defence Northland as at this morning Sunday 19 July.
Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare is heading North today to meet with our teams on the ground. I will update you again tonight. Kia haumaru te noho, stay home if you can and stay safe everyone.

Thank you Pita Tipene for the drone images of Taumarere, Kawakawa, Moerewa taken yesterday 📸

UPDATES (Please check their websites as things can change quickly)
NORTHLAND SEVERE WEATHER ISSUES
UPDATE AS AT 8:30AM, SUN 19 JUL

As a result of earlier severe weather impacting all roads, any travel in this region should be taken under caution. Please take extra care. Go slow, watch out for remaining surface flooding, new road surface damage, new slips, and/or fallen tree and other debris today.
STATE HIGHWAYS STILL CLOSED
- SH1 Kaitaia to Okaihau (including the Mangamuka Gorge) - Multiple slips & flooding (not expected to reopen for some time).
CAUTION
- SH1 Kawakawa - Take extra care.
- SH11 Opua to Kawakawa - Take extra care.
- SH12 Kaikohe to Omapere - One lane open on Taheke River Bridge
- SH15 Kaikohe to Maungatapere - Take extra care

For up-to-date information, please check our website Traffic Map here: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/northland ^TP

UPDATE AS AT 7.00AM, SUN 19 JULY
from Civil Defence Northland

What can be achieved in a day...

Fantastic to see the progress that was made yesterday (Saturday) clearing slips, fallen trees etc off roads around the region. We have included the most recent (Saturday evening) updates from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Northland, Whangarei District Council and Far North District Council in the Comments below (original post) but please check their pages for the latest status. We're still recommending that people avoid non-essential travel.

Water levels are still close to (or on) the road in a number of locations around the region and please be advised that rivers will rise quickly again with any further rainfall. So please remain aware that the situation can change again rapidly with roads and particularly bridges that may have been passable even 30 minutes earlier.

Getting the roading network back up and running remains a priority - roading authorities and contractors are gaining a clearer picture of what needs to be done around the region but there is significant damage in some places and some of the repairs will require detailed engineering and planning.

Water treatment plants in Whangarei and Paihia (supplying Opua/Paihia/Waitangi) are still undergoing urgent repairs and households and businesses are still being asked to conserve water - please take these messages seriously. Although it seems strange that an oversupply of water falling from the sky can lead to a shortage of drinking water, that is the reality at the moment.

Update from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Northland at 9.50am Sunday 17 July.
State Highway 1 in the Far North is closed in the Mangamukas from Makene Rd to Victoria Valley Rd and is likely to remain that way for several days - the photo give an indication of why.

Stay updated on the State Highway network on their page or their website here:
www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz...