‘Devastating news’ - Ōtorohanga mayor speaks after one dead in floods
Saturday, 14 February 2026
Ōtorohanga’s mayor says the district will recover from flooding, but nothing can replace the life that was lost as devastating floods hit the district overnight.
Speaking at the Ōtorohanga District Council building in the town on Saturday morning, Rodney Dow said the district was sending its aroha to the family of the man found dead in his vehicle, which was submerged on flood waters on SH39.
“This is devastating news for our community,” said Dow.
“To the whanau, we extend our aroha love and heartfelt condolences during this incredibly difficult time.“
A member of public alerted emergency services to the submerged car, near the intersection with Kiwi Road at Puketotara, south of Pirongia about 9.15pm.
The man was found dead inside the vehicle.
Dow said the weather event that hit Ōtorohanga District and the wider region was “significant”with rainfall between 150 to 300 mm within an hour.
“It may take a few days to fully understand the scale and impact across our community.
“We ask the community to please stay away from flooded areas and slips as it may be unsafe.
Residents impacted by the weather event are being asked to self-evacuate if they do not feel safe with Saint David's Church open for them.
Council staff and emergency services were continuing to assess the impact and the damage to infrastructure, which was extensive.
If people need help they could call council on 0800 734 000 anytime.
Dow said he was, ironically, having a meeting about weather events and civil defence on Friday afternoon when it started raining about 2pm.
He described it as “extreme” by the time he got home later that afternoon.
“ I've never seen that much water, and I'm nearly 60, so, and I've lived here my whole life here.
“The weather bomb just came across.”
Dow used a small truck to head out checking flood zones.
“They were kind of all filled right up and the pumps were obviously, under pressure trying to get rid of the water in the township.
The system worked, but it just inundated just so much, just so suddenly.”
Dow believed about 80 people had self evacuated, mainly the Kio Kio area.
He was aware of a slip that had hit a house and buried the residents’ car. She had no insurance.
Engineers were assessing the site but so far it was only the single house impacted.
However, there were slips and bridges washed out across the district.
He was hopeful the worst was over.
“I think as long as the weather, the weather stays fine, we're all right, but if we get another weather bomb, which, you know, where the bomb wasn't predicted.”
“Like we're usually such a lucky area. “We hear all these devastations around the rest of New Zealand, and we always think, oh, we're lucky we missed it all
“It's just, it's just so localised how it came through our area.
Civil defence Minister Mark Mitchell was to fly in to assess the damage.
“Hopefully he's got a central government chequebook for us to help our recovery, but yeah, but he's, he's, offered all the services.”
Asked if the council would consider wastewater upgrades to help in future, the mayor said the system largely worked but was overcome by the downpour and improvements it came down to what was affordable.
“Any upgrading you do, you always lift the standard because the country has weather events.
“But I mean, there's a 4% rates cap the government wants you to get, so you can't just go putting new pipes in willy-nilly.”
The damage can be repaired, but this, this poor family’s lost a life.”
Earlier, Dow had declared a State of Emergency at 12:57am on Saturday. It will be in place for a week.
Overnight he told residents to hunker down.
“I urge you to stay safe and do not venture out into floodwater – it is not safe,” said Dow.
Damage across the district appears extensive.
In a video posted on Saturday morning Regan Reti showed a washed out bridge on the Ormsby Rd section of SH39 near Mangati Rd south of Pirongia. The scene was not far from where police said the man’s body had been found in a car.
A car was nose-first in the cut where the bridge entrance was, but no-one was in it, he said.
“The bridge is gone, ” he said. “There's wood and silage bales tucked up under the bridge here. Whole paddocks just ruined.
“Yeah, just praying for everyone affected.”
Images on social media from overnight showed people carrying items from the Ōtorohanga Museum in knee-deep floodwaters.
In a message, museum staff said: “Te Wao Nui o Tāne has flooded up to knee height. Nearly everything in there that could be moved has been shifted to other spaces. We now just need the waters to drain away to assess things.
Many thanks to our amazing community that came out tonight in answer to our urgent call for help.“
Waikato Regional Council rainfall data showed 170mm of rain had fallen in the 24 hours to 8am Saturday at the Otewa gauge east of Ōtorohanga.
At least one bridge on SH39 has been severely damaged, leaving a ute stuck in the resulting gap after the entrance washed out.
Police advised motorists to drive with caution and to not attempt to get through floodwaters.
A number of local roads and highways are shut the district, including:
State Highway 39, between Otorohanga and Pirongia.
State Highway 3 between Mangaorongo Road and Ngahape Road.
Kiokio Station Road at Otorohanga.
Phillips Road at Otorohanga.
The Council is asking everyone to only flush toilets and use water where absolutely necessary. Reducing water use will help ease pressure on the system and minimise the risk of overflows and environmental damage.
Also, SH3 north of Mangaorongo Road at the Stream Bridge is closed.
There is a power outage in Kāwhia, Aotea and Ngutunui, with Waipā networks saying that it can't access the area to fix it due to flooding and road closures.