Orange weather warning, ‘should have been red’, says Waitomo mayor

Wednesday, 15 October 2025

The impact on the on the district of heavy rainfall is looking like twice the cost of the devastating February 2004 floods, according to Ōtorohanga Mayor Rodney Dow.

The assessment comes after a deluge the MetService said was, for some areas, an entire month worth of rain in just two days.

The Waikato Times spoke to a number of mayors still attempting to assess the flood damage across their regions, a Waitomo farmer stuck on their property, and MetService about what Waitomo Mayor John Robertson said is an event that will leave them with a bill “in the millions of dollars”.

“It’s been a real storm event I have to say,” said Robertson.

“The storm and the amount of rain was not predicted by MetService … we were told it was an orange warning, (it) should have been red.”

That warning concern was echoed by a Waitomo farmer, who wished to remain anonymous, and who at the time of speaking to the Times, was trapped on their property by flood waters.

“We never saw a red warning,” they said.

“The water’s not going away quickly either, total ground saturation.”

They said they had moved some stock to higher ground, but now were just waiting for the water to recede before being able to take proper stock of the situation.

They appeared to be taking a stoic approach.

“It’s life and it’s farming,” they said.

“We just accept it really.”

Robertson said that as of Wednesday, Te Kūiti rivers were still at a “very high level” though receding now, and Marokopa was cut off.

“Significant flooding and those communities are isolated right now,” he said.

“We anticipate significant road damage.”

He said State Highways 3, 4, 30 and 42 were all closed, but that it was far too early for any assessment of the total damage, and the clean up cost, though he did say it’s “going to be in millions of dollars”.

Dow also said it was too early for detailed assessments of the damage, but described it as “as bad as the 2004 event we had here”.

“There is a lot of water around, quite a few road closures,” he said.

“Take the 2004 cost and double it.”

Ruapehu District Council chief Clive Manley said they had reactivated their Emergency Operations Centre as they respond to the flooding, and that the focus now was “ensuring the small number of people and communities isolated by flooding are okay and reopening the road network”.

He said river levels were slowly dropping, but also issued motorists a warning.

“We have had reports of some people trying to drive through flooded areas and we ask that they please do not do this as it puts themselves and first responders at risk,” he said.

“Everyone will need to be patient while river levels subside.”

There were power and cell outages affecting the Ruapehu district with Taumarunui High School left working off a generator and telling students they can stay home.

A number of other schools that closed for the day including Tarrangower Primary, Maitere and Ohura Schools.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane told the Waikato Times that recorded rainfall across a number of Waikato stations between Monday and Wednesday were between 107mm and 175mm.

The highest recorded level - 175mm - was recorded at Waitanguru, while Ngaroma saw 174mm, Hauturu 166mm, Wharekiri 127mm and Piopio 111mm.

The lowest figure, 107mm, was recorded at Purerua Forest.

She said those regions usually get between 150mm and 200mm of rain in a typical October.

“So, for some areas, the rainfall we’ve seen in the last couple of days is around the same amount that would be expected for an entire month,” she said.

“Additionally, Taumarunui saw their wettest October day on record on Monday with 61.2 mm.”

Makgabutlane did note, however, that the Taumarunui records there were “relatively short” and only went back to 2007.

She had some positive news for the immediate future.

“Going forward, although there'll be some cloud around Wednesday and tomorrow, only the odd isolated shower is expected,” she said.

“Friday looks bright and dry - a welcome chance to dry off properly. The next rainy weather system we're expecting is on Sunday.”

New Zealand Transport Agency said SH30 from Te Kūiti to Benneydale was due to reopen on Wednesday evening.

State Highway 31 between Ngutunui to Oparau would remain closed overnight. Other highways remaining closed were SH3 between Mōkau and Piopio, SH4 between Eight Mile Junction and Taumarunui, and SH43 from Whangamōmona to Taumarunui.

NZTA is also advising anyone planning to travel between Taranaki and Waikato to delay their journey.