MANGAWHAI'S NO.1 NEWSPAPER
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Flooding traps motoristThe deluge of rain over Queen’s Birthday Weekend caused flooding in many areas in Mangawhai including pastures, roads and even a basement.
On June 3 around 1.30pm, one lucky man along with his young child and dog were able to escape their vehicle unharmed after being taken by surprise by flood waters on Waiteitei Road, Tomarata. Police say local witnesses to the incident say they saw the white utility truck try to cross the stretch of road but was swept sideways and carried over the farm fence and into a culvert by the turbulent water. The man managed to get himself, his child and dog out of the ute and clung onto a nearby tree, Senior Constable Graham Gough says. “His car was completely covered by the water. Mangawhai and Wellsford Police attended the incident and, after convincing the man to let his dog go, they were helped out of the tree by two local men.” Gough says due to the undulations along Waiteitei Road, it is notorious for flooding and poses real risk for drivers. “Flooding can happen really quickly. I was actually checking out that stretch of road around 11.30 that morning and it was clear two hours later the road was unpassable,” he says. “The area is part of the flood plains of Whangapiro… we are looking into getting better flood warning signage along the road.” -- REPORTING/Julia Wade |
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