MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said Whanganui Airport had 54mm of rain, and Kauangaroa had 56mm, with the heaviest downpour between 4pm and 7pm.
Multiple slips were reported on State Highway 4 between Whanganui and Raetihi. The road was closed yesterday.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said it would reopen this afternoon after the completion of work at the Otoko underslip.
The road between Raetihi and Pipiriki was closed at Mangaeturoa North Rd by a fallen tree and a slip.
On Friday, emergency management closed the Kowhai Park road closest to the Whanganui River, and the city boardwalk was covered in water.
Crowe said there had been surface flooding around Whanganui, with Marybank on State Highway 3 badly affected.
Some properties in the area had been affected by flooding, but there was no damage to any homes.
Rural areas, most notably Turakina Valley, had suffered flooding, which Crowe said was being monitored.
Horizons Regional Council duty incident controller Martyn Boyce said the region’s rivers had coped well.
“There have been no real significant issues. We are going to continue monitoring because there is a bit of rain on the radar, but we are not expecting it to cause any problems.”
Horizons was working closely with Crowe and the Whanganui emergency management team.
Ruapehu’s local roads and water systems were starting to recover well today, Ruapehu Civil Defence controller Clive Manley said.
“The Emergency Operations Centre, which was activated as a precaution ahead of the storm, was stood down at 9.30pm [on Thursday].
“While there were a number of slips and fallen trees that closed local roads - including Raetihi-Pipiriki Rd at Mangaeturoa North Rd, Tokirima Rd at the Ohura River bridge by Maraekowhai Station, and Roto and Saddlers roads - our contractors have been working since first light to clear the debris.”
The heavy rain had put pressure on drinking water supplies, but the Ohakune and Raetihi treatment plants continued to operate without any issues.
Large volumes of water were entering the wastewater systems, but the situation was expected to stabilise as water flows subsided, he said.
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton thanked those involved in the emergency response.
“I want to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of council contractors and emergency services who worked overnight and are now busy supporting the recovery.
“I would also like to thank the Pipiriki Campground for stepping up and looking after a family who became stranded due to the road closure.
“It’s a great example of the community showing manaakitanga and caring for others.”
South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon said the biggest concern in his district was the level of the Waitōtara River as more heavy rain was forecast.
Taranaki Regional Council river crews are monitoring the Waitōtara River after heavy rain. Photo / Taranaki Regional Council
“We are monitoring that - it did start to slowly go down at 9am [on Friday], but it wouldn’t take much to bring it up again.”
Several roads have been closed in the district, including some off Waitōtara Valley Rd.
Nixon said crews were getting to the affected areas when they could, but the council would not know the full extent of damage until crews got into the valleys.
“We do have some people that are isolated at the moment, but everyone seems happy. We have been doing welfare checks.
“Overall, we are pretty good. We have a pretty resilient community in those areas, and they know these things can happen, so they are always prepared for them.”
As the heavy rain continues, NZTA crews are closely monitoring all state highways around the region for further damage.
The agency reminded people to take care and be alert for areas with flooding or debris.
