The regional council has cleared a new path for the flood-prone Maraetotara Stream at Te Awanga in the lead-up to Cyclone Oma.
The work wasn't done with the cyclone in mind but with the remains of the storm to hit Hawke's Bay towards the end of the weekend, it will help.
The excavation work has seen parts of the stream dammed up and a new course dug out that leads directly towards the ocean.
A MetService spokesman said Hawke's Bay should expect low temperatures over most of the weekend and swells that could get bigger than 3m on Sunday evening.
