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Far North mayor Moko Tepania fears intense weather events hitting Auckland and Northland in the past few weeks, may be the new normal.
The district was battered by Cyclone Gabrielle, with the many local roads out and power cut to remote communities.
The flooding was even worse in Whangarei, with parts of downtown closed and State Highway one blocked at Whakapara.
The heavy rain alert was lifted at midnight, but hig winds were expected to continue into the morning.
Mr Tepania says it’s a tough time for whanau in Taitokerau, Tamaki and further south.
“We’re very much inter-connected between Te Tai Tokerau and Tamaki Makaurau. We’re the only neighbour to Auckland, and we know that we’ve got a huge significant number of our descendants living down in Auckland as well. So yes, what happens in Auckland is felt up here in the north as well,” he says.
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