Flooding traps cows on island refuge
Heavy rain sparked flooding and cut power to parts of the Far North yesterday, closing schools and catching some animals off-guard.
Northland lines company Top Energy said flooding impeded some of their power restoration efforts, with some pockets of homes without power in Fairburn, Kaitaia and Honeymoon Valley.
High tide also caught a number cows on the flooded plains at Koutu Loop, near Opononi.
They reached dry land later in the day.
Power was expected to be restored by mid-afternoon yesterday as the water receded.
Kaikohe East School principal Chicky Rudkin said the flooding at the Northland school was the worst she had seen in 48 years.
She said 120 students out of the primary school’s roll of 280 were away yesterday, due to being unable to make it to school.
Kaeo School was also closed, with buses unable to run. Peria School, east of Kaitaia, was also closed to due to flooding.
The flooding came as rain bands passed over the top of the North Island following heavy rain in parts of Northland on Wednesday night and yesterday morning.
A heavy rain severe weather watch was in place for the region through to the afternoon.
Top Energy said trees getting into lines had been the main cause of electricity faults, with a long line of wattles causing an outage affecting 385 customers in Towai, east of Kawakawa.
‘‘Mt Pokaka and parts of Kerikeri have also lost power when trees got into the 11kV lines.
‘‘Power has now been restored to these areas and we have crews out now clearing vegetation and patrolling the lines.’’
Flooding and slips had caused delays for motorists on State Highway 10 east of Taipa, near Doubtless Bay, the NZ Transport Agency warned.