Dairy farmers doing winter milking should have generators in place if the power is out for them, Mr Doughty said.
Stock have been moved to higher ground and are safe. The next challenge will be to keep them fed.
"There's limited access around farms, and limited grass growth from now."
Wayne Falkner, from Creek Rd near Mangamahu, got the chance to tour his area across to Kakatahi in an Air Force helicopter.
He said the upper Mangamahu area was cut off by slips, but otherwise not too bad. But downstream the flats at Ngaturi were inundated.
"All the flats are under water again, and covered with debris."
People at Kauangaroa were evacuated on Saturday night, and Mr Falkner expected Whangaehu Village would be flooded again.
Most in the Mangamahu area had generators so still had power, but getting fuel to keep them going was difficult with the roads closed. Farmers were out on tractors opening up access to their neighbours.
Mr Falkner's area has no cellphone coverage and broadband is also out because it relies on power supplied to repeater stations on hills.
People had plenty of warning that there could be flooding.
"When the weather forecast predicted 250mm of rain for Mount Taranaki and the Tararuas we just presumed we were going to get a big dump.
"Mangamahu people are used to banding together to help each other in situations like this. It's likely to be three to five days before they can get far on roads.
"We've just got to sit tight and I presume civil defence will try and contact us and organise drops for anyone who needs them," Mr Falkner said.
Farmer Graham Morrison, on Tutaenui Rd near Marton, said his property was free draining, but he heard the town of Marton was "a right mess".
Up in Taihape, Danny Mickleson said his farm had only had 60mm of rain since Friday night, and there has only been minor flooding.
In the Ruatiti Valley, Winston Oliver's farm has had 150mm of rain. The Manganui-o-te-Ao was very high and there had been lots of slips.
Over in the Waitotara Valley, David Pearce tipped 140mm out of the rain gauge on his farm near Waiinu Beach. His valley flat dairy farm is under water but fortunately the cows are away for winter grazing.
The power is still on at his higher dairy farm and winter milking continues. He's seen a lot of helicopters flying around on rescue missions.
Nukumaru dairy farmer Di Handley has 120 cows to milk. Her farm is on high ground and was not flooded, but she may have another problem.
The Nukumarau Rural Water Scheme isn't functioning, and she's hoping she has enough water stored in tanks to use for today's milking.
"At this point, we think we are okay."
The top end of the Waitotara Valley is "really messy", Ravensdown Aerowork pilot Peter Larsen said, worse than in 2004.
The river has been well over the road in places and there is no power.
Everyone is safe, as far as he knows, and he's used his helicopter to move three different groups of people who needed to get out or come in.