High river levels, surface flooding, and road closures marked the second anniversary of the Wairoa River mouth flooding event.

Last Friday, June 26, marked two years since the Wairoa River mouth flooding impacted around 400 properties, including homes, garages and outbuildings, in the southern residential area of Wairoa.

In an eerie recurrence, last Thursday night and Friday saw high, and at times intense, rainfall, prompting Wairoa’s Civil Defence Incident Management Team to be on standby, monitoring river levels and surface flooding from the early hours.

Wairoa District Council Civil Defence Controller Juanita Savage said Wairoa and Tairāwhiti were under a heavy rain watch from Thursday night. “There was significant rainfall in our rural catchments, and we are always mindful of the downstream effects. Contractors and crews were quickly deployed to slips on the Mangapoike, Hereheretau and Cricklewood roads, with Kihitu and the Wairoa River mouth under surveillance.”

Mrs Savage said the rainfall created a potential flooding threat and created anxiety in the community. “It was reassuring to see our Incident Management Team respond so quickly. From Council function roles to emergency services and contractors, everyone worked in a really streamlined, effective and efficient manner. Thank you to those who supported this response. We appreciate your efforts, the sharing of information and the fast responses.”

29 June 2026

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