Waimarama Voluntary Rural Fire Force

24/05/2026

I know we are in an Open Fire Season, but that is no excuse to leaving a bon fire burning unsupervised. If the wind was to pick up this could easily spread to nearby long grass and houses.
Please extinguish all fires with water when you are done.

05/05/2026

11/04/2026

This is no longer the most recent information - for the latest update go to the pinned post at the top of this page.
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𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 - 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟏𝟏, 𝟓.𝟓𝟎𝐩𝐦…

An Orange strong wind warning remains in place for Hawke’s Bay.
• Period: 17 hours from 9am Sun, 12 April - 2am Mon, 13 April
• Area: Gisborne/Tairawhiti, Hawke’s Bay and Taihape
• Forecast: Severe gale easterlies changing to severe gale north-westerlies Sunday afternoon or evening, gusting 130km/h in exposed places. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.

A Yellow heavy rain watch remains in place
• Period: 16 hours from 2am to 6pm Sun, 12 April.
• Area: Gisborne/Tairawhiti about and south of Tolaga Bay, also coastal hills and ranges of Hawke's Bay.
• The Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges are under an Orange warning.
• Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria.

Extremely high sea swells remain expected for Waimārama, Ocean Beach, Te Awanga and Haumoana.

For those near rivers or streams, people should monitor river levels and be ready to self-evacuate if needed.

Check the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council website for updates on river levels and flood risks https://www.hbrc.govt.nz/extreme-weather-hub/flood-hub/
Havelock North residents can watch stream levels at https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/services/water/stormwater/hndamsstreams/monitoring/

In urban areas, residents should plan to shelter in place and stay off the roads during the cyclone.

𝐈𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲. If evacuation is recommended or ordered leave immediately. Do not wait for a door knock – given the size of the area and the need to respond to active emergencies it is very unlikely someone will make it to individual properties.

Put safety first. Don’t take any chances. Act quickly if you see rising water. In an emergency, call 111.

On Sunday, April 12, all council facilities will be closed. See https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/cyclone-vaianu/

👉 Be prepared for power outages. Have a grab bag in case you need to evacuate. Make sure you have some cash at home or food and water to last three days, and a battery powered radio to stay informed.

👉Stay safe by staying out of harm’s way. Stay off the roads if you can. Keep away from beaches and coastal areas.

👉Check on your neighbours, vulnerable family members and anyone who might need your help.

👉Secure or bring outdoor items inside, clear gutters and drains

👉Stock up on essentials: food, water, medication, torches, batteries

👉Charge phones and devices

👉Make a plan for your household, pets and farm animals

👉Never try to walk, swim or drive through flood water.

👉Farmers and lifestyle block owners need to consider how and where you will relocate stock in a flood situation. Move stock and equipment out of low-lying areas.

👉For more info on how to prepare for the impacts of severe weather, people should visit https://getready.govt.nz/

For the latest weather information, visit www.metservice.com

More information on the impacted areas, what people should do, and other updates can be found on the webpage https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/cyclone-vaianu/ as well as the HB Civil Defence Emergency Management Group website and page.

09/04/2026

It was a beautiful day out at Waimārama today, but things are about to change with Tropical Cyclone Vaianu arriving over the weekend. Make sure you have a grab bag ready incase you need to leave your home in a hurry and also check in with the rest of your Whānau to see if they need any help. There is a great website https://getready.govt.nz/ with the information you need to prepare for a natural disaster

Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. You can take steps to be prepared.

04/04/2026

Hope everyone is having a great Easter Holiday. Daylight savings ends tonight so it's a great time to also check your smoke alarms.

18/03/2026

Do you have one of these near your property? They are often forgotten about and get overgrown. Next time you're mowing the lawns can you make sure the hydrant is visible and easily accessible.

10/03/2026

It was great to host both Havelock North Fire Brigade and Maraetotora Fire Brigade for the inaugural Fire Hose Football match. There may have been a bit of a home ground advantage, but fun was had by all.

15/02/2026

Be Careful in this wild weather

05/02/2026

We are in an Open Fire Season, but it pays to check the expected weather conditions before you light a fire. Visit checkitsalright.nz for all the information you may need

27/01/2026

Heavy rain like much of the North Island has experienced can cause landslides, even after the rain has stopped.

Landslides can happen without warning, so stay alert and look out for the warning signs. You'll need to act quickly if you see them:
- Small slips, rock falls, and sinking land, at the bottom of slopes.
- Sticking doors and window frames, which may mean the land is slowly moving under the building.
- Gaps where window frames are not fitting properly.
- Steps, decks, and verandas, moving or tilting away from the rest of the building.
- New cracks or bulges on the ground, road, footpath, retaining walls and other hard surfaces.
- Tilting trees, retaining walls, or fences.

Get out of the path of the landslide quickly. Evacuate if the building you are in is in danger.

FInd out what to do before, during and after a landslide at getready.govt.nz/landslides