Norsewood Community Civil Defence

16/07/2026

Not a civil defence notice, but a public announcement

Biosecurity New Zealand is asking everyone to be alert after H5 bird flu was detected here in a single ocean-going seabird.

The bird was found on Petone Beach in the Wellington region, and testing confirmed H5 bird flu (H5N1 avian influenza).

This is the first detection of H5 bird flu in New Zealand. It hasn't been found in any other birds and there are no detections in poultry.

New Zealand is well prepared to respond and protect poultry production, and to reduce impacts on wildlife and communities.

Be alert and use good habits to limit the impact of bird flu.
• Keep your distance: Stay away from sick or dead wildlife. Keep pets away too.
• Keep clean: Wash your hands and clean your gear after being outdoors.
• Know when to report: If you see three or more sick or dead birds, report them to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

We have extensive resources available, including on what to look out for and do/don’t, here: https://bit.ly/4gEC9E8

16/06/2026

Mt Ruapehu has continued to show low-level unrest, characterised by persistent small earthquakes beneath the summit area, minor fluctuations in Te Wai ā-moe (Ruapehu Crater Lake) temperature, and variable but generally low-to-moderate gas emissions.

Volcanic activity remains within the range typical for minor unrest.

The Volcanic Alert Level therefore remains at Level 1 👇
https://www.geonet.org.nz/vabs/4tXt5qLnBwfhriyeQUzjWa

14/06/2026

Did you receive this! Loud and clear at our place.

09/06/2026

🌊 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘂𝗮'𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 🌊

It seems the ocean's feeling a little dramatic today!

A significant southerly swell is expected to hit the Tararua coast this afternoon, with combined wave heights rapidly building to 8–9 metres and peak wave periods of 16–18 seconds. Conditions are expected to remain hazardous through tonight before gradually easing on Wednesday.

⚠️ 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀, 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Large waves and powerful surges can:
👉 Create extremely dangerous swimming and surfing conditions
👉 Produce strong and unpredictable currents
👉 Push water much further up the beach than usual

Our advice is simple:
❌ Stay out of the water
❌ Don't go fishing
❌ Keep your boat at home
❌ Don't take chances for a closer look at the waves
✅ Admire the ocean from a safe distance

Take care folks!

04/06/2026

20/04/2026

🥱 Mōrena everyone - still the night shift here, on deck until the fresh crew gets in later this morning.

🌧️Safe to say there's been a lot of rain overnight. Thanks to Horizons Regional Council's environmental data monitoring network, we've been able to get some rainfall totals.

All stats are total rainfall in these areas since 1pm Monday 20 April:

💧Ākitio River at Cadmus Bridge - 150mm
💧Wainui River at Wimbledon - 100.2mm
💧Owahanga River at Owahanga Station - 114.4mm
💧Upper Mangahao River at No.1 Dam - 89mm
💧Pohangina River at Makawakawa Divide - 86.5mm
💧Manawatū River at Āpiti Track - 63.2mm

📡You can check out Horizons' environmental data for yourself here: https://envirodata.horizons.govt.nz/

🚧 Roads will likely be closed across the region, but we need light before road crews can get out and about to assess damage. If you are out on the roads, please take care.

🛑We expect State Highway 56 at Ōpiki to need to close later today. Keep an eye on the NZTA Journey Planner for all state highway closures: https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/journey-planner

We'll look to do another update later this morning, likely once MetService New Zealand has updated their watches and warnings.

19/04/2026

Mōrena team, here’s the latest weather update, issued 9:35am today, from MetService New Zealand.

This is an update on yesterday’s warning:

🌧️ Heavy rain for the Tararua Range, Tararua District and Wairarapa from 9am Monday 20 April, to midnight Tuesday 21 April.

🌧️ Heavy rain in South Wairarapa is expected to spread northwards this afternoon into the Tararua District. Expect 80 to 120 mm to accumulate, but 150 to 250 mm about the ranges and coastal hills.

⛈️ Peak rates of 15 to 25 mm/h, but 25 to 40 mm/h possible in localised places, especially in thunderstorms. MetService says there is a moderate chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.

🟡There are also heavy rain watches for Horowhenua and around the Ruahine Range (Southern Hawke's Bay), which our team will be monitoring closely. At this stage, MetService says there is a moderate chance of these being upgraded to orange warnings.

💧Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible. Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously.

➡️ Keep an eye on the weather and visit
https://www.metservice.com/warnings/home for the latest updates and Tararua District Council

13/04/2026

Metservice New Zealand has updated their weather watches and there is no longer a rain watch or warning in place for our district.

🙏 First of all, a huge thank you to everyone across our district. You should be proud of the way you’ve prepared for Cyclone Vaianu over the past few days; those efforts make a real difference.

💛 While most of us may have come off relatively lightly this time, the next event could be very different. The way our community stepped up and prepared shows just how important it is to stay ready, look out for one another, and take these warnings seriously every time.

👏 Also, a special thank you to our community groups, community partners, essential services, and local contacts across the district for staying alert and being ready to respond over the weekend. As always, your support and coordination are greatly appreciated.

🏢 Our Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was operational on Sunday in case we had to respond. Fortunately, no declaration was necessary, as Council, along with other Tararua critical service providers, were able to manage the effects of Cyclone Vaianu. This was helped by the storm moving rapidly out to sea on Sunday evening.

🔄 Our teams are now back to business as usual and will continue to monitor the weather as we always do.

🤝 Our thoughts are with the communities further north who are experiencing the impacts of this event, and with the teams working hard to support them.

12/04/2026

🌪️ Cyclone Vaianu – Update for the Tararua District

First of all, a huge thank you to everyone across our district. You should be proud of the way you’ve prepared for Cyclone Vaianu over the past few days, those efforts make a real difference 🙌

Cyclone Vaianu is now moving through the Tararua District, and we are already seeing and feeling some of its effects, particularly in coastal areas 🌧️🌬️

An Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been stood up from 4pm to monitor the situation as it unfolds. This is a proactive step, building on preparations made since Friday.

So far, this remains a 'business as usual' response, no emergency has been declared.

We are working closely with our community partners, essential services, and local contacts across the district to stay connected and respond as needed 🤝

👀 What we are seeing and expecting:

• Strong wind gusts already being reported in coastal areas, expected to move further inland this evening and overnight 🌬️
• Rain is setting in now, with heavier rain expected later this evening, moving from the north of the district towards the coast 🌧️
• Strong winds forecast from around 10pm through to 8am ⏰
• High swells along the coast 🌊
• Around 90 customers currently without power in coastal areas, with crews working to restore supply ⚡

⚠️ What to expect:

💨 Severe gales in exposed places
💨 Possible damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures
💧 Streams and rivers may rise rapidly
💧 Possible surface flooding and slips
💧 Wet roads and difficult driving conditions
🌊 Heavy swells — please stay well clear of the water

📢 MetService warnings in place:

• Strong Wind Warning: 10pm Sunday to 8am Monday — gusts up to 120 km/h in exposed areas 🌬️
• Heavy Rain Warning (Tararua Ranges): 90–120mm expected, with peak intensities Sunday afternoon and evening 🌧️
• Heavy Rain Warning (Coastal Tararua): 70–100mm expected, with intense localised downpours possible 🌧️

✅ What you can do:

• Avoid unnecessary travel, especially overnight 🚗
• Secure loose items around your property 🏠
• Stay informed via our website and page 📲
• Check our road status page on our website for the latest updates, this is updated regularly as conditions change 🛣️
• Report any issues or damage to us on 06 374 4080 or 06 376 0110 📞
• If it is an emergency, call 111 immediately 🚨

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as things develop.

Please refer to our previous posts and our website for further information.