Farmers in the Whanganui and southern King Country regions are reporting widespread damage from flooding as well as gale force winds.
The Whanganui River has eased back from its overnight peak but is still running very high. Other flooded rivers, including the Whangaehu and Rangitikei, are also receding.
However, many roads remain closed, power has been cut to some properties and there are numerous slips and trees down.
Winston Oliver, who farms just north of Raetihi in the upper Whanganui catchment, says his farm had 120mm of rain in a day and the damage has been extensive.
He says every road in the area has been blocked by slips, dams have been washed out on farms and slips and destroyed fences.
"Most farmers will have to get diggers in to open up tracks and reinstate places where we can drive stock out."
Mr Oliver says he has lived there for more than 40 years and has never seen the river levels as high as they have been.
Kirsten and Paul Bryant farm at Fordell, east of Whanganui City, but also have hill country farms south of Taumarunui and beside the upper Whanganui River.
Mrs Bryant says they are concerned about the King Country farms because they have lost phone contact with them.
"Flooding's not an issue on those properties but obviously damage to infrastructure and tracks and bridges, and access are our big concern there," she says.
Don Wickham, whose farm is on the Whanganui River Road, says he was able to move stock out of the way of flooding on the river flat, but has had no power for two days and the road has been cut in several places.
He is concerned about the damage that could occur as the river recedes.
"It just takes the banks with it - it comes up and they get pretty sodden and then when the support of the water disappears the banks slip in," he says.
