Weather Event

Council has activated its emergency response team and is closely monitoring river levels. Heavy rain, rising rivers, slips, flooding, strong winds, and power outages are likely.

Please take this seriously and prepare now, while there is still daylight. Make sure your devices are charged and you have a battery-powered radio handy to listen to news updates should you need it.

For the Northern District:️

You will receive the wind and rain first. This is modelled to arrive overnight.

Feilding and the Southern District:

This may impact your morning commute and throughout the day tomorrow.

Makino Spillway gates will be closed at 9pm tonight to protect Feilding from highwaters in the Makino Stream. Please follow the MDC Facebook page for updates.

Tangimoana residents, the river peak is expected midday tomorrow (Monday 16). Please follow the MDC Facebook page for updates.

Everyone should prepare by:

• Move items away from areas of your property that usually flood.
• Clear gutters and drains where it is safe to do so.
• Bring inside anything that could be lifted by strong winds, or tie it down securely.
• Bring pets inside where possible.
• Charge phones and devices.
• Stay away from areas at risk of slips.
• Move livestock in low lying areas to paddocks that are safe from floodwaters, landslides, isolated trees, and power lines.
• If a landslide occurs, keep well clear - further movement can happen without warning.
• Stay out of the water and away from beaches.
• Be prepared to move to higher ground if needed.
• Secure boats and trailers properly.

Please take the time to check in on friends, whānau and neighbours. Call 111 if life is in danger.

Unless the conditions change, our next update will be tomorrow morning at 9am.

Our teams have been working across the District overnight. Here’s what we know so far:

Strong winds and heavy rain have resulted in fallen trees, surface flooding, and some road closures. Please take care and drive to the conditions. We are working to provide a live list of road closures as soon as possible and will be updated here: Current Road Status | Manawatū District Council

Rubbish, recycling and food scraps collections have been postponed today. If your collection day is Monday, for this week only it will move to Tuesday. The Transfer Station will close for Monday.

Many communities are without power. Please check the Powerco website for outage information and updates on reconnection.

Some schools are closed today. Please follow guidance directly from your school.

🌊 Makino Aquatic Centre is closed today due to a power outage.

We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Phew, what a day across the Manawatū District.

Here are some key updates:

🛣 Roading crews have been busy clearing debris and getting roads back in action. The final road status update for today (as of 6:30pm) is available on the MDC website: Current Road Status | Manawatū District Council

🔌We are aware that many properties across the District are still without power. PowerCo are working hard to restore power, please visit their website for outage information and updates: Outage Map

🔦 Are you or someone you know without power? Here are some key things you should do during a power outage:

• Unplug major appliances. This will reduce the power surge and possible damage when power is restored.
• Don’t use candles as they're a fire risk. Use a torch instead!
• If you are medically dependent on power, in an emergency call 111 or go to your nearest medical centre.
• Treat all downed lines/electrical equipment as LIVE at all times.
• Have a solar or battery powered radio so you can keep up with the latest news and alerts.
• If the power goes out, eat the food from your fridge first, then your freezer, then the food in the cupboard or your emergency kit.
• Talk to your neighbours about what they’ll do if the power is out. You might find they have a gas barbecue, and you have enough food and water to share (or the other way round).

Our next update will be tomorrow (Tuesday 17 February) morning.

Stay safe and have a good night all. 👋

Around 5,000 properties remain without power, trees and crops are down and several roads are still closed. It’s understandable if today feels unsettled.

Our crews are back out across the district this morning and coordinating closely with Powerco. We aim to have a full road status update and prioritisation list available by mid-morning.

If you need support:

Makino Aquatic Centre is offering free showers for those without power.

Manawatū Community Hub Libraries is open if you need to charge phones, power devices or just use a warm space.

Only travel if it’s safe to do so.

Please take care, check in on one another.

Today has seen rapid progress across the district, with work crews completing assessments, clearing priority routes, and responding to reports from across our communities. As the immediate emergency response phase winds down, MDC is transitioning to a smaller focused roading response structure. This means Council’s focus is shifting from urgent response activities to coordinated recovery and ongoing restoration work across the roading network.  The declared State of Emergency remains in place, this will be reviewed in the coming day.

Council continues to work closely with Power Co and other partner agencies to support power restoration efforts, manage road access, and prioritise repairs where they are needed most. While significant progress has been made, some road closures remain in place and a number of properties are still without power. These will continue to be actively managed in the coming days.  Please refer to the Power Co map for more information: Outage Map

We recognise this event has impacted many in our community, particularly those dealing with prolonged power outages, disrupted travel, and impacts to crops and properties. Recovery can take time, and our teams remain committed to restoring essential services, maintaining safe access, and supporting residents through this next phase.

Makino Aquatic Centre has extended their free shower offering through to tomorrow (Wednesday) and the Manawatū Community Hub Libraries is open again tomorrow from 9:30am - 5:30pm to charge phones, power devices or just use a warm space.

The Manawatū Resource Recovery Centre on Kawakawa Road in Feilding is accepting green waste free of charge from now until Sunday to help residents clean up their properties.

The MDC call centre remains available for anyone needing assistance or wanting to report issues. Residents are encouraged to contact us on 06 323 0000 or log requests through Antenno if support is required. We are here to help.

Thank you for your patience, resilience and the care you continue to show one another as we work through the recovery together.