April 20, 2026 • 5 mins
Care for locals in a King Country town isolated by floodwater over the weekend, with some forced to evacuate.
A State of Emergency still applies for Ruapehu's Ohura Ward - and a community hui's being held at its Hall tomorrow evening.
Ruapehu district mayor, Weston Kirton, says the region's through the worst of it weather wise, but there's still lingering damage.
"When it comes to isolated areas like Ohura and others, sometimes you don't know and can't model exactly where it's going to hit the most - and I would suggest that the systems we have in place is not adequate."
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Ever due for Sea Ellens.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Nineteen is the text numbers. Standard text fees apply. We
have got very sober, but us obviously quarters to five,
so we'll have a chat to him about it then
see what he is calling now. Major flooding across the
North Island over the weekend has caught many officials off guard.
Wellington right now was in a state of emergency after
a fortnight of rain fell in an hour. In the
rue Pea Who district, the town of or Houda was
(00:27):
placed under a state of emergency at three am on Sunday,
with flash flooding forcing people from their homes. This came
despite little to no official warning about how severe the
deluge would be. The mayor of the rue Pea Who
district is Western Curtain Who is with us right now?
High Western afternoon, Mate, how's your district? Is it all right?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Oh? We're reeling. It's a sad situation of course. Some
of the people that are affected by the flood waters
heather in disarray and we're trying our best to deal
with the wealthare issues and doing the mop up as
we speak. And so tomorrow we'll be having a public
meeting to address most of those issues.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Okay, would you say whether wise you're through the worst of.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
It, Yes, I'd say so, even though the waters are
still swollen. So we have any rain on top of
what we've got, it could cause more problems, particularly the
areas where they're vulnerable. No stop banks, for example, they're
pretty expose. That community about one hundred to one hundred
and fifty people affected by the flooding, and who has
a history of flooding, of course, but all we can
do is hope that we don't get to repeat of
(01:28):
what we had on the weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Okay, so what happened? Was there no warning that this
was about to happen to you?
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, there was obviously warning of heavy rain warning as
a general view view from the met surface point of view,
they are saying that in our district we're going to
have heavy rain warning. However, so when it comes to
you isolated areas like WHOA and others, sometimes you don't
know and can't model exactly where it's going to hit
the most. And I would suggest that the systems that
(01:57):
we have in place is not adequate for us to
actually do some of the issues that are created by
the flooding. So we need to upspect some of the
radar systems, if not the senses that trigger alarms, and
I would suggest that we need to do a lot
of work in that area.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Okay, I can see that we've got two different players
here that we need to talk about, one obviously being
your regional council, and then one being what's going on
with the weather forecasting. Let's just deal with the weather
forecasting quickly. What you guys saw come down, did that
reflect what had been forecast?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Absolutely not what we did know that it was coming
heavy rainfall. But we need to have it. As we
said earlier, we need to know what areas are going
to be affected the most, and so we don't have
that modeling or we don't have that information to react earlier.
And so having a declaration three o'clock in the morning
is not fun. And having people were chest high trying
(02:53):
to take babies out of the affected area is just
not good enough. We need to have at least five
or six hours is that the waters are going to
be creeping up in the rivers nearby.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Think I feel like we've crossed into the second thing.
So let's you steal with the forecast and the forecast
what came down was heavier than what was forecast.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Absolutely, yes, the model I'm not sure the detail, but
we do get one hundred mills easily in that location
that was not modeled and it wasn't predicted.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Okay, what was predicted? What did they tell you?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
At least about half of that? I mean, we did
get thirty mills in the area where I lived, for example,
and that was what was protected.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
So are you telling me I just want to get
this right? So are you telling me that they predicted
fifty mills and you've got one hundred mills?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yes, we got double what we've got double pretty much double.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
That local that's the forecast problem. Second problem is what
your regional council then does. So what happened there? What
went wrong?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well? I think what went wrong is that the turning
points and some of these fridges, for example, have you know,
have rivers go by the community of Ahura that didn't
signal that in fact, there is at a level whereas
needed to be alarm bells and some.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Do the triggers not exist western or were they just
not working?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Well, I think you could well be that they're working,
but it's not relaying back to the community or to
the regional district council.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So you're telling me so the district council, the regional
council is not not aware of how high the river
is until people are calling in and going, hey, it's
in my house and I'm having to save my baby.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
That's my understanding is that we had no prior warning
that this particular situation of Ahura and the Mangarua River
was not triggered to alarm bells, and that we didn't
know that we didn't have that advice that this is
now at a point where we need to evacuate.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
I mean, this is this is Hawk's Bay esque river
all over again, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Well it is. You know, they're very vulnerable where they are,
this particular community. And yes, you get a situation where
it doesn't hit one week and then next week it will.
But we need to have triggers, and we need to
have river levels that actually trigger trigger and also alarm
the local community in vary shape or form. But we
didn't have that information.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
You're going to have a chat to them about it,
find out what happened.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yes, so, well we'll be having a debriefing. And there's
no point when you're in the midst of welfare issues
and there's no good doing that politax and tool we
get sorted, but the government need to step up with
a radar system that actually pommodates our area. And that's
the deficiency. So we're already talking to central government about
that game more better information, and I guess it's a
(05:29):
matter of getting the radars in place so that metfield
forecast can be more accurate. So that's a two double
eded sword. A. We need to have the tools. B
we need to have the information from the service, which
is in this case met Service.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Good luck with it, okay, and a best of luck
dealing with us, and we'll chat and catch up with
you again. See what happened Western Curtain Who Met?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to
news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Ever due for Sea Ellens.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Nineteen is the text numbers. Standard text fees apply. We
have got very sober, but us obviously quarters to five,
so we'll have a chat to him about it then
see what he is calling now. Major flooding across the
North Island over the weekend has caught many officials off guard.
Wellington right now was in a state of emergency after
a fortnight of rain fell in an hour. In the
rue Pea Who district, the town of or Houda was
(00:27):
placed under a state of emergency at three am on Sunday,
with flash flooding forcing people from their homes. This came
despite little to no official warning about how severe the
deluge would be. The mayor of the rue Pea Who
district is Western Curtain Who is with us right now?
High Western afternoon, Mate, how's your district? Is it all right?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Oh? We're reeling. It's a sad situation of course. Some
of the people that are affected by the flood waters
heather in disarray and we're trying our best to deal
with the wealthare issues and doing the mop up as
we speak. And so tomorrow we'll be having a public
meeting to address most of those issues.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Okay, would you say whether wise you're through the worst of.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
It, Yes, I'd say so, even though the waters are
still swollen. So we have any rain on top of
what we've got, it could cause more problems, particularly the
areas where they're vulnerable. No stop banks, for example, they're
pretty expose. That community about one hundred to one hundred
and fifty people affected by the flooding, and who has
a history of flooding, of course, but all we can
do is hope that we don't get to repeat of
(01:28):
what we had on the weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Okay, so what happened? Was there no warning that this
was about to happen to you?
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, there was obviously warning of heavy rain warning as
a general view view from the met surface point of view,
they are saying that in our district we're going to
have heavy rain warning. However, so when it comes to
you isolated areas like WHOA and others, sometimes you don't
know and can't model exactly where it's going to hit
the most. And I would suggest that the systems that
(01:57):
we have in place is not adequate for us to
actually do some of the issues that are created by
the flooding. So we need to upspect some of the
radar systems, if not the senses that trigger alarms, and
I would suggest that we need to do a lot
of work in that area.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Okay, I can see that we've got two different players
here that we need to talk about, one obviously being
your regional council, and then one being what's going on
with the weather forecasting. Let's just deal with the weather
forecasting quickly. What you guys saw come down, did that
reflect what had been forecast?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Absolutely not what we did know that it was coming
heavy rainfall. But we need to have it. As we
said earlier, we need to know what areas are going
to be affected the most, and so we don't have
that modeling or we don't have that information to react earlier.
And so having a declaration three o'clock in the morning
is not fun. And having people were chest high trying
(02:53):
to take babies out of the affected area is just
not good enough. We need to have at least five
or six hours is that the waters are going to
be creeping up in the rivers nearby.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Think I feel like we've crossed into the second thing.
So let's you steal with the forecast and the forecast
what came down was heavier than what was forecast.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Absolutely, yes, the model I'm not sure the detail, but
we do get one hundred mills easily in that location
that was not modeled and it wasn't predicted.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Okay, what was predicted? What did they tell you?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
At least about half of that? I mean, we did
get thirty mills in the area where I lived, for example,
and that was what was protected.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
So are you telling me I just want to get
this right? So are you telling me that they predicted
fifty mills and you've got one hundred mills?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Yes, we got double what we've got double pretty much double.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
That local that's the forecast problem. Second problem is what
your regional council then does. So what happened there? What
went wrong?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well? I think what went wrong is that the turning
points and some of these fridges, for example, have you know,
have rivers go by the community of Ahura that didn't
signal that in fact, there is at a level whereas
needed to be alarm bells and some.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Do the triggers not exist western or were they just
not working?
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Well, I think you could well be that they're working,
but it's not relaying back to the community or to
the regional district council.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So you're telling me so the district council, the regional
council is not not aware of how high the river
is until people are calling in and going, hey, it's
in my house and I'm having to save my baby.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
That's my understanding is that we had no prior warning
that this particular situation of Ahura and the Mangarua River
was not triggered to alarm bells, and that we didn't
know that we didn't have that advice that this is
now at a point where we need to evacuate.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
I mean, this is this is Hawk's Bay esque river
all over again, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Well it is. You know, they're very vulnerable where they are,
this particular community. And yes, you get a situation where
it doesn't hit one week and then next week it will.
But we need to have triggers, and we need to
have river levels that actually trigger trigger and also alarm
the local community in vary shape or form. But we
didn't have that information.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
You're going to have a chat to them about it,
find out what happened.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yes, so, well we'll be having a debriefing. And there's
no point when you're in the midst of welfare issues
and there's no good doing that politax and tool we
get sorted, but the government need to step up with
a radar system that actually pommodates our area. And that's
the deficiency. So we're already talking to central government about
that game more better information, and I guess it's a
(05:29):
matter of getting the radars in place so that metfield
forecast can be more accurate. So that's a two double
eded sword. A. We need to have the tools. B
we need to have the information from the service, which
is in this case met Service.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Good luck with it, okay, and a best of luck
dealing with us, and we'll chat and catch up with
you again. See what happened Western Curtain Who Met?
Speaker 1 (05:50):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to
news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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