Dozens evacuated as torrential rain floods Wellington suburbs, more downpours expected

Saturday, 18 April 2026

A resident of the Lower Hutt suburb of Stokes Valley was horrified to find part of her street had collapsed amid heavy rainfall.

Torrential rain has triggered what locals say is the worst flooding seen in years across parts of the Wellington region, forcing evacuations, inundating homes and cutting roads as more downpours loom.

Twenty-five homes in Stokes Valley and one in Porirua were evacuated on Saturday morning, with most residents staying with family and friends and a small number using council facilities.

Tina Darryl said a driveway on Tawhai Street had also sunk down.

The Hutt City Council had sectioned off about 10 metres or so with road cones.

'It's kind of just past the bend, so if people are driving up and down in a hurry they may end up in the hole,' she said.

Darryl said her husband spoke to them earlier, and the Hutt City Council said they had to assess what they could do until it was safe enough to try and patch it up.

She said the flooding in Stokes Valley was 'horrific'.

'We were just lying in and I thought, 'Hmm, that rain's getting really heavy.'

'I looked outside, and I said to my husband, 'Umm, our yard is under water.'

'He went out to look out the back because we have a little creek that runs behind us, and unfortunately, it wasn't a little creek anymore.

'It had burst the banks, and it was just below our knees. [There was] water in the backyard, all through the neighbours, got into our wash house and that, and yeah, it was like a big river, actually, coming down Tawhai Street.'

Darryl said the flooding had since receded, but had left a lot of silt behind.

'We were out there earlier helping an older couple up the road who all the gravel from their driveway had washed away onto the road, so we're just putting in wheelbarrows, and trying to put it back on the driveway for them, to help them out.'

Settlement hit hard by flooding

A man whose home north of Porirua was flooded on Saturday morning said Saturday's weather was the worst he'd seen in over 20 years.

Andrew Frazer, who lives in the settlement of Pāuatahanui, said while the rain has been steady since 3am, he didn't expect the sudden downpour at about 9.30am on Saturday.

'We just had perhaps the heaviest rain I've ever seen, sort of like tropical hurricane like rain storm, and this rain just came up really really quickly,' he said.

Frazer said the water was inside his home for about an hour before it receded.

Stokes Valley streets flooded, homes inundated

In Stokes Valley, residents described rapidly rising water in what many say is the worst flooding the area has experienced in years - and in some cases, decades.

Local Eugene Grant said a manhole burst around 7.30am, blasting water more than two metres into the air and sending silt surging down the street.

'Water was basically up to our doorways… we could feel it coming through the floorboards and thought, ok, we need to get out of here,' he said.

Grant said his family tried to evacuate but found roads blocked.

The floodwaters later receded, leaving thick silt, with neighbours now racing to clean up before more rain arrives.

He said it was the worst flooding he had seen in the area in 16 years.

Longtime resident Helen Coffey said it was the worst flooding she had witnessed in more than 40 years.

'It was really quite bad, it was really frightening, because we just don't know what's coming.'

Nearby, Alice Odean said floodwater reached the second step of her front porch, leaving her to clear heavy silt from her driveway.

'I'm feeling angry… It's just clean up and wait for the next round.'

Local Navneet Kant said water reached his driveway hedge and flooded his car.

Plimmerton residents battle repeat flooding

In coastal Plimmerton, residents spent the day sandbagging and clearing drains as a nearby stream overflowed, sending water into homes - in what locals said is another in a series of serious flooding events.

One property suffered damage to a garage and bedroom, with neighbours stepping in to help while the homeowners were away.

Local volunteer Damo said the stream floods 'pretty much every time there's a big storm'.

'I just thought I'd come down… try to get things cleared up and hopefully mitigate as much property damage as we can,' he said.

He said drains were often clogged, despite repeated calls for maintenance.

His mother, Irene, said she woke to heavy rain but didn't realise the scale of flooding until later in the morning.

'These poor people… this is the second time in four to five years that they've been flooded out like this, and it's not fair on them.'

Fire crews and locals worked to clear drains, helping water recede more quickly than in past events, but residents say the underlying problem remains.

Porirua mayor Anita Baker said 40mm had fallen in Plimmerton over a two-hour period, with more forecast over the next 12 hours.

More rain on the way

Authorities said the situation remains fluid, with more heavy rain forecast later in the day.

Wellington Region Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesperson Dan Neely said two further bands of heavy rain were expected around 2pm and again about 8pm, and urged people to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel.

He said it was difficult to predict exactly where the heaviest rain would fall, but warned already-hit areas near SH2, SH58 and SH59 were still a concern.

Neely urged people not to drive through floodwaters and to call 111 if their life or safety was at risk.

With saturated ground and swollen waterways, residents are being warned to prepare for further disruption as the next bands of rain move through.