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First Responders – Mangawhai tornado update #2 from Fire and Emergency NZ

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Firefighters are continuing to check homes and properties in the area where a tornado affected an area of Mangawhai earlier this morning.

Fire and Emergency NZ started to receive 111 calls from about 3am, Northland District Manager Wipari Henwood said.

Reports included people needing to be rescued from damaged property, rooves lifted from buildings, trees fallen onto homes, windows blown in and fallen power lines, as well as trees blocking roads.

Most of the calls have been from people in the Molesworth Drive and Old Waipu Road area, with a couple from Langs Beach and Ruakaka reporting wind damage.

“Our initial response prioritised the calls that related to life safety. Firefighters extricated two patients and handed them into the care of St John,” Wipari Henwood said.

“We are now working through all the calls for help with property damage and making systematic checks of homes in the wider area.”

Fire and Emergency’s specialist drone team has been deployed from Auckland and will help with damage assessments.

Crews from seven brigades have responded to about 16 calls so far.

Cordons are in place on Moir St and Molesworth Drive and power is still out in the area. People should treat all power lines as live and stay well away from the area so emergency services can move freely.

Fire and Emergency continues to work with Police, St John and Civil Defence Northland in the coordinated response to the tornado.