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Two weeks after Mangawhai was hit by a violent tornado, affected locals continue down the long road of putting their shattered homes and lives back together.
Although some streets have resumed a sense of normality, remnants of the early morning January 26 twister are still visible around ground zero, with ravaged houses, some still inhabitable, and conspicuous spaces where grand old trees had formerly graced the sky.
Estimated by NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) as an EF1, with wind speeds between 138 and 177 kilometres an hour, the tornado targeted Mangawhai Village neighbourhoods, leaping from Old Waipu Road to Longview Drive and down Moir Street, leaving two residents seriously injured.
About 90 properties had varying degrees of damage, with nine homes receiving a yellow sticker, leaving them temporarily uninhabitable. Building materials and vegetation were flung far and wide by the ferocious winds, with housing insulation reported to be found as far away as Te Arai.
With typical Mangawhai spirit, residents and businesses rallied in the storm’s aftermath, offering a multitude of support, from supplying food and accommodation to gifting tarps, building materials and loans of generators. One man even gave his time as a night watchman along Old Waipu Road, to warn off potential looters. Many offered immediate hands-on labour with people willing to bring in their chainsaws, diggers and trucks to clear the debris. However, due to the danger caused by a number of downed powerlines, local help had to be put on hold until Northpower gave the all-clear and the cordons were lifted.
Large amounts of refreshments also turned up at the Molesworth Drive fire station where the first response team was set up for the emergency, led by Kaipara Civil Defence Emergency Management – trained Kaipara District Council (KDC) staff, Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups (CDEM) and NZ Response Team (NZRT) – with Fire and Emergency NZ, Police, Northpower and other lifeline utilities.
Along with KDC councillors walking the area to check on residents, affected locals were also visited by NZ Red Cross Disaster Welfare and Support, as well as 10 volunteers from veteran-led charitable organisation Taskforce Kiwi.
Descending into ground zero over the first weekend in February, the team cut, mulched or chopped fallen trees into firewood, and removed broken structures and debris to clear access to properties.
Taskforce Kiwi national director Richard Adams says the team was overwhelmed by the hospitality shown to them by the community.
“The people of Mangawhai have done an incredible job supporting one another in the wake of an unprecedented event,” he says. “Despite this, we know how exhausting it can be for those dealing with the aftermath of a disaster or severe weather event so, for us, it was a no-brainer to get our skilled volunteers on the ground doing what they can to help”.
Mayor Craig Jepson acknowledged the phenomenal response from the community and offers of help that have continued to come through.
“What an effort by so many people. Overall it’s been an incredible and swift response to an unexpected event.
Any residents affected by the tornado and needing support or further information can call 0800 727 059 or visit the Kaipara District Council office on Molesworth Drive during council office hours.
Two-year weather pattern emerging
According to NIWA, an average of 10 tornadoes hit New Zealand annually, although this number varies from year-to-year depending on weather systems. The August 1948 twister in Frankton is the largest and deadliest so far on record, killing three people and injuring 80, and damaging 150 homes. In April 1991, a tornado touched down at Pouto Point, west Kaipara, injuring two and wiping out a marae hall, with only concrete steps and the floor left behind.
Mangawhai’s January twister is the second in recent years with the last hitting Cove Road in 2021. Along with the intense thunderstorms of February 2023 – which caused extensive localised flooding – and now the 2025 tornado, it appears the area is becoming a future focal point for extreme weather events, especially with the ongoing impact of climate change.
“Likely, though there is an element of randomness in terms of a repeat event within a couple of years,” a NIWA spokesperson says. “The Northland region does experience tornadoes and waterspouts, and being a coastal location exposed to the north – the direction from which thunderstorms often approach – means this area will experience these on occasion.”
