Whatatutu Mangatu Puha response team

01/06/2026

Orange rain warning north of Tokomaru bay whanau.
We will likely get a softened version of this weather front.
But with all weather events, keep an eye out for fallen trees, possible road flooding and our awesome pot holes may hurt your vehicle wheels so kia tupato.

UPDATE (8.15am Tues): MetService have updated the ORANGE heavy rain warning for the ranges of Tairawhiti, north of Tokomaru Bay, to run 10 hours from 8am this morning through to 6pm this evening. Expect 60-100mm if rain with peak rates of 10-20mm/hr, but possibly 25-40mm/hr in localised downpours. Stay safe out there! 💙

UPDATE (7.30pm): MetService has extended the ORANGE heavy rain warning to run for 22 hours from 8pm tonight through to 6pm Tuesday. UPDATE

‼️ ORANGE HEAVY RAIN WARNING ‼️

Mōrena whānau! Just when we thought we were going to slide through the weekend without the weather hitting us, MetService issued an 🍊 ORANGE 🍊 HEAVY RAIN 🌧️ WARNING for the ranges of Tairāwhiti, north of Tokomaru Bay for the 21 hours from 6pm tonight (Monday) through to 3pm tomorrow (Tuesday).
Expect 90-130mm of rain ☔️ with peak rates of 10-20mm/hr expected but increasing to 25-40mm/hr in possible localised downpours on Tuesday morning and afternoon. Thunderstorms ⛈️ are possible on Tuesday. There is a minimal chance of this upgrading to a red warning.
Streams and rivers may rise rapidly, with surface flooding, slips and difficult driving 🚗 conditions possible. Clear your drains and gutters. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously.
Stay safe out there whānau! 💙

01/06/2026

Kua Kati te rori...
The road is closed heading to Opotiki whanau.
Roads closed precautionary with the pending weather event heading our way. Kia mataara whanau

17/04/2026

Anei whanau, the Gorge is open 24/7 under stop go support through Goldsmith worksite moving forward.

Kia matara whanau!

SH2 Waioweka Gorge is open around the clock again under stop/go traffic management, following the heavy rain and strong winds from Cyclone Vaianu.

We closed the gorge from Friday 10 April to Monday 13 April to keep people travelling safe during the severe weather. Fortunately there wasn’t much to clean up after the storm, but crews acted quickly to clear debris.

Recovery work is under way. The road is open 24/7, with stop/go traffic management at the Goldsmith slip site.

12/04/2026

Kia Ora tatou,

Update on roads to town, it is open as of 7.18am this morning.

Have a good day everyone.
Please be careful on the roads. We will stand down from 8am this morning as a team, keep vigilant and if you are in need of supports please reach out and we can assist as best we can.

12/04/2026

Morena everyone 🌤️

We’re currently awaiting an update at 8am regarding road closures from Ormond to town and all other road closures. Roading teams are completing checks at first light this morning carrying out checks, so we’ll share more information as soon as it comes through.

We hope everyone is doing okay after those final strong winds from the cyclone overnight 💨 It’s been a rough ride, so take it easy today where you can.

There is also a chance of thunderstorms later today ⛈️ so please stay mindful of our already very soaked landscape — conditions could change quickly.

Take care out there and look after each other 🤍

12/04/2026

Update on River levels on the ground at Omapere.

The river levels have remained at 3.5m for a couple of hours now with no further increases.
The rapid rise from earlier has remained at 3.5m.
Our whanau continue to check the river levels, however, we have been informed that the river levels is indicating that it maybe staying at that level and slowly receding over night.

We will continue to check throughout the night. Should there be an increase in levels we will let you know.

12/04/2026

Kia Ora whanau,

IMPORTANT NOTICE

This message is for those whanau living in low lying areas in Zone 8, Zone 7 and zone 6. (Te Hau station, Te Kowhai Road, Te Wainui Village, Mangamaia and Omapere)

We continue to monitor the rivers levels in this area.
We have had a sudden rise in river levels of just under 1m in 45mins. The river is currently at 3.5m on the ground at Omapere, and we usually would start to self evacuate at 5m, however, as the rise is rapid and increasing, we are encouraging for whanau to start to evacuate at 4.5m at Omapere.

We are 1m off our trigger point at the moment.
We will continue to monitor the levels on the ground and keep you updated.
This earlier evacuation point will be triggered to ensure safe evacuation in the dark.
The Mangatu Marae is already set up ready to go for evacuees. With kai and warmth for whanau.
Please ensure you have prepared a grab and go bag with all essential items, and bedding if you live in these areas.

We are not out of the woods yet whanau! Kia kaha tonu whanau!

12/04/2026

As nightfall approaches, we strongly encourage anyone who needs to evacuate — or is considering it — to do so early and make your way safely to Mangatu Marae.

There is a hot pot of boil up ready for whānau who need a warm place and support.

Please let us know if you have evacuated so we can keep track of everyone’s safety.

If you are leaving, take your essential items with you, including any medications.

There are ongoing threats of power outages, landslips, and falling trees. We still have at least 6 hours of storm conditions ahead, so please do not wait until it becomes more dangerous.

Stay safe, look out for one another, and reach out if you need support.

12/04/2026

Kia Ora ano tatou,

Please keep in mind the safety of contractors is essential during this Cyclone also. If your power goes out please reach out and we can ensure that you are supported overnight.
The weather is set to stay here until the early hours tomorrow.

As nightfall hits, its important that we brace ourselves until the end of this weather front has passed Tairawhiti.

12/04/2026

🚧 Roading Update – Closures Across Tairāwhiti 🚧

Please be aware of the following current road closures due to severe weather and safety risks:

🔴 State Highways
• SH2 Waioweka – CLOSED until 10am Monday
• SH35 Punuruku – CLOSED until 10am Monday
• SH35 Ōkitu – CLOSED (under review at 7pm today)
• SH35 Ōpōtiki to Waihau – CLOSED due to coastal damage
• SH2 South (via Wharerata, Muriwai) – CLOSED from 2pm due to fallen trees
• SH2 North – CLOSED from Ormond (details to follow)

⚠️ All reopenings are subject to safety inspections.

🛠 Local Roads
Ground crews are actively clearing fallen trees and assessing damage. More crews will be deployed tomorrow as conditions improve and it is safe to begin restoration work.

🙏 Please avoid unnecessary travel and stay safe. Please let us know if you have fallen trees and slips in your area.

We will keep you updated as much as possible.