For immediate release: Tuesday, 14 April 2026
While severe weather conditions have now passed, significant hazards remain across the Whakatāne District and residents are urged to continue taking care following the impacts of Cyclone Vaianu.
The local state of emergency was lifted by Whakatāne District Council’s Emergency Operations Centre yesterday afternoon (Monday, 13 April).
The most significant impacts were felt in coastal areas of Ōhope, Matatā, Thornton and surrounding low-lying communities. The combination of extreme winds gusting up to approximately 150km/h, very large seas and a high tide on Sunday afternoon created serious coastal inundation risk across exposed and low-lying areas.
Local Controller Hone Patrick says lifting the state of emergency marks an important step forward, but cautions that recovery will take time.
“Cyclone Vaianu hit the district hard. The combination of extreme winds, large waves and high tide on Sunday afternoon created dangerous conditions across our communities,” says Mr Patrick.
“Our teams have been working around the clock and are now focused on assessing the damage and getting the district back on its feet.”
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued on Sunday for approximately 270 properties in Ōhope and Thornton due to the forecast risk of coastal inundation, storm surge, large waves and landslides.
There were more than 60 roads affected across the district, with hazards including downed powerlines, fallen trees, hazardous debris and destroyed traffic signage.
As at 11am Tuesday, 49 affected roads have now reopened, reflecting the significant effort underway to restore safe access as quickly as possible. The Council asks for patience where work is ongoing and asks motorists to drive with caution as they move around the district. Roads remain wet in many areas, and slips and falling debris are still possible, particularly with further wet weather forecast in the coming days.
More than 7,000 customers, stretching from the Whakatāne District through to Hicks Bay, experienced power outages . Power restoration work is ongoing.
Geotechnical assessments of escarpments across the Whakatāne District have been carried out in Ōhope and Whakatāne with further assessment work ongoing.
The Rūātoki water supply pump remains on generator power and a boil water notice is in place until further notice. The Matatā water pump station is also operating on generator power, as is Waimana. Residents in Waimana are asked to please continue conserving water and to limit use to essential needs only while systems remain on backup power.
Mr Patrick also acknowledged the response and preparedness shown by the community and the support shown for each other.
“We know evacuating, preparing homes and changing plans is not easy, and we acknowledge the disruption this caused for many people,” says Mr Patrick.
“Thank you to everyone across the district who took the warnings seriously and prepared early. Because of the actions taken by our community, alongside the work of emergency services and response teams, we were able to reduce risk and keep people safe during the worst of the event.”
Any service issues, like trees down or slips, can continue to be reported to Council’s 24/7 call centre on 07 306 0500. Non-urgent issues can also be logged via the Fix It and Report a Problem form on the Council website.
ENDS