Source: Radio New Zealand
Flooded farmland in Ōhura, on 19 April, 2026. Supplied/ Ross Perry
The local state of emergency for Ōhura in the Ruapehu District has been lifted.
Flooding cut off the remote King Country settlement last Sunday.
About 50 homes were damaged, with six receiving serious damage.
Ruapehu civil defence controller Clive Manley said the focus was now on helping residents clean up and get back on their feet.
He said the impact of the flooding on the community was significant and the recovery would take time.
Welfare support is available for the community, and people are being encouraged to come forward and discuss their needs, Manley said.
Mayor Weston Kirton previously told RNZ between 100 and 150 people had been affected by the flooding when it occurred, forcing a number of residents to shelter at the Ōhura Memorial Hall.
Swathes of farmland were inundated by the deluge which hit the settlement in the early hours of Sunday morning, homes and the main town centre was also flooded.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
