ROADING UPDATE: Monday 16 February, 5:50pm
The following local roads remain closed:
Agnews RoadAldworth RoadBrandon Hall RoadNorwood LaneOngo RoadOtara RoadPohonui RoadPurakau StreetRuru RoadTurakina Valley Road (blocked at both ends)Waiaruhe RoadState Highway 54 is closed between State Highway 1 and Cheltenham (Manawatū District).
State Highway 1 Hunterville to Waiouru is open under a temporary 30km restriction. Please check the NZTA Journey Planner for the latest updates: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt…
Taihape-Napier Road has reopened. Please drive to the conditions and take extra care.
Important travel advice
Avoid unnecessary travel.Take extra care on all open roads. In many places, trees have only been cleared to the road edge.Do not use local roads as alternative routes to State Highways unless directed by contractors.
All other updates remain the same as below
UPDATE: Monday 16 February, 5:00pm
Roads
All motorists that were trapped between slips and fallen trees on Turakina Valley Road have now been freed and have continued on with their journeys. Turakina Valley Road is closed and will remain so for some time.
Other roads that are closed include:
Taurimu Road
Brandon Hall Road
State Highway 1 between Hunterville and Waiouru (Ruapehu District)
State High 54 Between SH1 and Cheltenham (Manawatū District)
Taihape-Napier Road has reopened but please be drive to the conditions and take extra care.
Our Current Road Status Map is not loading properly and so we have removed it from the website so as not to confuse people. We will have a comprehensive list of roads closed in the district by our next update tomorrow morning at 9:00am.
Avoid travelling if you can and assume that all back roads are impassable unless otherwise stated.
Water
A conserve water notice is still in effect for the following towns:
Taihape
Mangaweka
Hunterville
Rātana
Please be sparing with water usage while our Operations Team look to restore power to these water treatment plants.
Rubbish and recycling
The Marton Waste Transfer Station will be open again from tomorrow, Tuesday 17 February.
All other transfer stations will remain closed until further notice.
Parks and Reserves
All the parks and reserves in the district are closed until further notice. Many trees have come down in areas which could cause a risk to people. Our Parks and Reserves team have been out assessing the damage and we’ve contacted aborists to assist with clearing these fallen trees, but it will take some time.
Community Hubs
The Taihape, Marton and Bulls community hubs are all open as per their usual hours.
Power and network outages
There are many power outages across the wider region. PowerCo have crews working to restore power as soon as possible, but it is likely to take some time. There’s also issues with cellphone network coverage in some places, mainly in the north of the district. Again, technicians are working to restore the network as soon as possible.
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).
Who to call for common high wind scenarios:
If there is an immediate risk to life please call 111.For trees down on a local road in our district please call us on 0800 422 522.If you see downed power lines, stay well clear and call PowerCo on 0800 27 27 27.Fallen trees on state highways – NZTA Waka Kotahi on 0800 444 449.Fallen trees on private property – insurance provider or 111 if life threateningPower outages – your power retailer
The Orange Heavy Rain Warning is no longer in effect.
Our next scheduled update tomorrow morning at 9:00am.
UPDATE: Monday 16 February, 12:00pm
A message from Mayor Andy
Although the district has suffered a lot of damage due to high winds, we’ve dodged a bullet in terms of the rainfall by not receiving what had been expected following the Red Warning.
We know that the warning has been downgraded to an Orange Warning, so we will closely monitor this over the next few hours and I hope that it doesn’t eventuate in anything like what we’ve already had. Trees have brought down a number of powerlines in the district, including one of my own and so I’d like to apologise to my neighbours and nearby residents who’ve been impacted by the outage.
We know that there are thousands of people without power at the moment and PowerCo are working as hard as they can to get things back up and running. Please be patient with them as the scale of this event is quite significant.
We’ll also be accessing damage to crops in the district, as we know this is likely to have impacted on our growers of maize, wheat and barley at a busy time of the year for them.
I’d like to thank all our staff, emergency responders and the Rangitīkei Response Team for their efforts over the past two days in preparation for this weather event, and responding to the needs of residents.
Roads
Our Operations Team have been out on the roads this morning, along with contractors to access damage and clear fallen trees and debris where it is safe to do.
Most of our roads are still passable, although some are down to one lane. If you have any information about roads that are impassable, please contact us.
We will be updating our Current Road Status Map on our website as we get more information. The map also includes State Highway closures.
Taihape-Napier Road is closed. We will update you when the road is open again and any restrictions that might be in place.
Avoid travelling if you can, however if you must, please drive to the conditions.
Water
A conserve water notice is in effect for the follwoing towns:
• Taihape
• Managaweka
• Hunterville
• Rātana
Please be sparing with water usage while our Operations Team look to restore power to these water treatment plants.
Rubbish and recyling
All waste transfer stations in the district are closed until further notice.
Parks and Reserves
All the parks and reserves in the district are closed until further notice. Many trees have come down in areas which could cause a risk to people. We’ve contacted aborists to assist with clearing these fallen trees, but it will take some time.
Community Hubs
The Taihape, Marton and Bulls community hubs are all open today if you require our services. Again, please only travel if necessary.
Power and network outages
There are many power outages across the wider region. PowerCo have crews working to restore power as soon as possible, but it is likely to take some time. There’s also issues with cellphone network coverage in some places, mainly in the north of the district. Again, technicians are working to restore the network as soon as possible.
Who to call for common high wind scenarios:
• If there is an immediate risk to life please call 111.
• For trees down on a local road in our district please call us on 0800 422 522.
• If you see downed power lines, stay well clear and call PowerCo on 0800 27 27 27.
• Fallen trees on state highways – NZTA Waka Kotahi on 0800 444 449.
• Fallen trees on private property – insurance provider or 111 if life threatening
• Power outages – your power retailer
Updated weather warning
An Orange Heavy Rain Warning has been issued for parts of our district between 8:00am and 3:00pm on Monday, 16 February. This replaces the earlier Red Heavy Rain Warning that was issued yesterday, Sunday 15 February.
Council are monitroing the situation alongside Civil Defence Manawatū-Whanagnui.
Of particular interest to us is the forecasted height of the Turakina River, which is expected to peak at 4:15pm today and may lead to the closure of Turakina Beach Road. We’ll provide as much advanced notice should this need to happen.
If it is safe for you to do so, it might pay to make some preparations to your property following the storm last night, such as clearing out gutters and drains, tying down outdoor furniture and play equipment.
Our next scheduled update today will be at 5:00pm.
UPDATE: Monday 16 February 2026, 9:50am
Residents of Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville and Rātana are being asked to conserve water until further notice.
Damage from the storms has caused some power issues to these plants. Our Operations Team are on their way to access each of these plants.
We will update as we get further information.
All parks in the district are closed until further notice.All waste transfer stations in the district are closed until further notice.The Taihape-Napier Road is still closed. However, we have a crew travelling to inspect the road and see if it is passable.
If you have lost power to your property, please call PowerCo and speak to them, or log a fault through their website. If you need to power anything while you wait for power to be restored to your home, our community hubs are open but please only travel if necessary.
Our next update will be at 12:00pm
UPDATE: Sunday 15 February 2026, 8:30pm
Heavy rain is forecast to intensify across northern Rangitīkei overnight, with the heaviest downpours expected late evening through the early hours of Monday morning.
Current forecasts indicate the most intense rainfall period is likely between midnight and 3am, particularly in rural northern Rangitīkei and in the upper catchments feeding into the Rangitīkei, Tutaenui, and Whangaehu Rivers.
Strong west to southwesterly winds, with gusts of up to 130km/h in exposed areas, are also expected overnight.
A State of Emergency remains in place for the Rangitīkei District.
Council staff are actively monitoring river levels, road conditions, and weather updates. The Emergency Operations Centre remains operational, and the regional Civil Defence Emergency Management Group is also providing regular updates.
At this stage, no evacuation orders have been issued and no evacuation centres have been activated.
Council is not asking residents to evacuate at this time. Response teams have been door-knocking in remote communities this evening to ensure residents are prepared. The key message is to prepare properties, secure animals, and move stock to higher ground where possible.
Some parts of Bulls are currently without power. Powerco is aware of the outages and working to restore supply as conditions allow.
If conditions change, residents will be given as much warning as possible. Council is urging people to stay updated through official channels.
Residents are encouraged to familiarise themselves with their local Community Response Plan, which outlines the steps that would be followed should evacuations become necessary:
Sunday 15 February 2026, 4:20pm
Mayor Andy Watson has proactively declared a State of Emergency for the entire Rangitīkei District ahead of the severe weather forecast for this evening, overnight, and into tomorrow.
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 possible. We have also activated the process to close the Napier-Taihape Road.
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 to listen to news updates.
At home
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.
On farms
Move livestock in low lying areas to paddocks that are safe from floodwaters, landslides, isolated trees, and power lines.Stay away from areas at risk of slips.If a landslide occurs, keep well clear – further movement can happen without warning.
Coastal and boating safety
Significant swells are forecast on both coasts.Stay out of the water and away from beaches.Be prepared to move to higher ground if needed.Secure boats and trailers properly.Look out for each other. Take the time to check in on friends, whānau and neighbours. As always, call 111 if life is in danger.
We will continue to provide updates on our website and on our Facebook page.