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As the roads start to clear and the devastation reveals itself, Te Karaka sits in the centre of the damage in Tairāwhiti. It's a settlement inland from Gisborne, where families have been left homeless.
They had to flee on Tuesday night to higher ground as their houses became inundated.
Tairāwhiti is also reeling from another death from the floods, which police are still investigating.
Many are without power, water and supplies on the East Coast, and the roads are compromised with no timeline for a fix.
Māni Dunlop was in Te Karaka today.