Donald’s and Abbots Creeks Flood Hazard Modelling

Donald’s and Abbots Creeks Flood Hazard Work 

Flooding impacts more people, more often than any other natural hazard in Greater Wellington Region. This is likely to increase in the future due to climate change, so understanding flood risk is more important than ever. One of the ways to do this is by working with communities to understand flood risk so we can help minimise the effects on people, business, and critical infrastructure.   

Flooding in Featherston

A new flood hazard map has been developed to understand the risk to Featherston of flooding from Donald’s and Abbots Creeks. 

The focus of the flood hazard map is understanding the likely spread and depth of flood waters in a significant, but infrequent, flood. People often refer to a flood of this size as a '1-in-100-year flood,' but we call it a 1% annual exceedance probability (AEP) flood. This means there's a 1% chance that a flood of this size could happen in any given year. It's important to understand that it doesn't mean this type of flood occurs exactly once every 100 years.

The map is currently being updated and will show the flood extent that would occur during a 1% AEP event, including with the predicted effects of climate change.  

Why is understanding the flood risk important?

Understanding the flood risk to Featherston is an important first step in addressing the flooding issues. Prior to this work, we did not have any detailed flood mapping of the risk from Donald’s or Abbots Creek.   

The aim of this map is to ensure any new development is located in a safe place and built in a safe way to protect lives and property. It may provide important information for prioritising infrastructure investment and inform emergency management planning. The finished map has been provided to inform Featherston’s Masterplan and the Wairarapa Combined District Plan.  

All councils are required to make natural hazard information public and any property prone to flooding will have this information added to its Land Information Memorandum (LIM).   

Donald’s and Abbots Creek Flood Hazard

For more information about the current flood mapping in the area, or to request site specific flood advice, visit our flood hazard advice page.