Greater Wellington works with communities to understand flood risk so we can help minimise the effects on people, businesses, and critical infrastructure. 

Flood hazard maps provide a picture of which areas are most at risk of flooding during severe weather, so that people in the right areas can be informed about flood risks.  

To create flood hazard maps, we use computer software to analyse data from past floods and model which areas are likely to be impacted by flooding, both now and in the future.  

Greater Wellington has been working on modelling the extent of flooding from Donald’s and Abbots Creeks in Featherston.

We’d like you to tell us whether the map we have created represents the extent of flooding you remember from 2 December 2018. Please share your photos, memories and stories of the 2018 flooding in Featherston to help us refine our modelling.

Share your feedback using the Have Your Say form below before Sunday 6 April 2025 

The more information we have about past floods, the more accurate the flood hazard map for your community will be. 

We’re asking you to share any photos or information you have from the 2 December 2018 flooding in Featherston.

To contribute, look at the map at the bottom of this page. Let us know if the map matches your memory of the flood by clicking the ‘Add Pin’ and following the instructions.  

Advances in flood modelling computer software make a good time to update these maps. Doing this review also means updated maps can be used for flood risk management planning and may be referenced in Featherston’s Master Plan.

Once our model has been finalised, we will use the model to create flood hazard maps for the 1% annual exceedance probability (AEP) flood plus an allowance for climate change.

A 1% AEP flood has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year, sometimes this is known as a one in on hundred-year flood. These maps will then be incorporated into the Combined Wairarapa District Plan.