Dargaville residents were roused from their sleep by urgent calls to evacuate as the Awakino River on the northern outskirts of the township burst its bank
Cyclone Gabrielle has severely impacted electricity supply and communications in parts of the North Island as it now heads southeast. Check how the situation is unfolding in your region.
Dargaville businesses are hurriedly sandbagging their premises amidst growing flooding fears as Cyclone Gabrielle's prevailing winds swing round to the south-west.