Flooding at a property in Pahiatua. Photo: Supplied / Luke Chandler
A Pahiatua resident says waking in his flooded home on Sunday morning felt like a bad dream.
Dallas McKinley said he woke to a bang on the window from a local checking on the flooded properties.
"I put my foot down and it was just splash. I just thought I was having a nightmare or something. I walked out and it was shock. The whole lounge was flooded. I was looking for my shoes and then one of my shoes floated by," McKinley said.
His rental property was one of several homes evacuated when heavy rain overwhelmed the town's stormwater drainage in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Fifteen roads about the township remained closed on Monday morning although the Pahiatua Track - which linked the town to Palmerston North - had reopened after slips and fallen trees were cleared from the route.
McKinley said - on returning to his property on Monday - he realised the building had been breached again after a second night of torrential rain battered the town.
"A lovely local was kind enough to lend me her dry vac and I got it to damp levels but - when I went back this morning - more water's come in the house overnight. The street's being pumped again now. We're stranded in the house now, the driveway's blocked. I definitely can't get the Demio out [but] you could probably get a four wheel drive in maybe," McKinley said.
"I've seen floods on the news and had friends affected by floods in Auckland and throughout the North Island but to have your own foot in the water - literally - it's a bit of a rude awakening."
He said he would try and save what clothing and items he could - before his landlord began to rip up the carpet and dry out the home - but he was uninsured and much of his possessions had been destroyed.
Pahiatua resident Dallas McKinley woke up to find his home flooded. Photo: Supplied / Dallas McKinley
However, McKinley said the community's care and generosity had been heartening and he was impressed to receive a welfare check from local council member Scott Gilmore and Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis during Sunday.
McKinley had only moved to the town about half a year ago to be closer to his son and former partner.
"It's been other people that have been that extended family - your community - that has really shone through at the moment. People messaging you - not to be nosey - but to actually check on you and I think that's been really helpful in times like this.
"There's a lot of really horrible shit going on in the world right now and it's not until it happens in your own backyard that you know what it's like. But everyone's going through stuff like this all over the place and, you know, they're human too. No matter what colour or creed we've got to look out for each other."
Campbell Chalmers has lived in his property on the corner of Huxley and Wakeman streets for about 70 years, and is angry about the latest flood.
He was off to stay with friends for a few nights while he worked out insurance and repairs, and on Monday was getting a hand to remove carpets and furniture from the sodden front section of his house.
Chalmers said the flood could have been prevented with some maintenance of the drain running along the street.
"They haven't kept the creek clean. If that creek had been cleaned it might have dodged us," he said of the water.
"It's the stuff that wraps around the sewerage pipes, and they don't keep it cleaned up. I've grizzled and whinged to the council."
Most of the water on Huxley Street had gone down on Monday, but at one house it only receded when contractors came in with pumps.
Belinda Lewer said her aunt Marie lived there until just a few weeks ago, and the house was for sale, but that had now been pulled while the family worked out what to do.
"We've had to take it off the market as it's unsellable as it is right now until we've sorted out both insurances and the continual issues with the front drain that's owned by the council."
The water's ruined the outside of the property, while sodden silt underneath sat near the underfloor insulation.
Lewer said her aunt was a district nurse for years and had even received a community award, so did not deserve this uncertainty so soon after her move into a rest home.
"I'm going to battle this. I'm not letting sleeping dogs lie. Somebody needs to be held accountable," she said.
"The house might be okay because the floodwaters didn't go through the house, however, there's always going to be this ongoing issue of this drain out the front."
Collis said officials were looking at how and why certain properties flooded.
"They'll check all of those records and make sure that everything that could be done was done at that time.
"The Huxley Street drain does take a lot of water from a lot of places. This was very localised as well. The teams will look at that and will certainly make that public, and have a look at what we can do better."
Tararua District Mayor Tracey Collis said residents and emergency teams were on high alert on Monday morning after rain continued to fall through Sunday night.
She said the amount of rain that fell on the township during the weekend meant the situation could worsen rapidly if showers picked up.
"We had between 90 and 100 mls [of rain] at a really intense rate. The drains were up, nothing could cope at that stage," Collis said.
"It is only the second time that I'm aware that water has gone through houses like this so [its] really scary for residents."
Collis said teams would continue doing welfare checks and building inspections throughout the area on Monday.