Severe flooding has hit the Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay areas of Tairāwhiti.
Photo: Unsplash / Daoudi Aissa
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence has ordered the evacuation of residents in the Mangatuna area north of Gisborne, because the Hikuwai River is at a very high level and more rain is expected.
The Hikuwai River reached 12.8 metres after 3am, a level higher than in flooding in 2020.
Tolaga Bay Civil Defence has been set up and anyone in immediate danger of flooding should move to higher ground, civil defence says.
It says whānau have been notified and civil defence teams have been going door to door.
State Highway 35 from Gisborne around East Cape to Ōpōtiki, is closed because of flooding, slips and washouts.
Civil Defence says there are multiple slips in Tolaga Bay Gorge, with flooding across the road making it suitable only for four-wheel drives.
Gisborne Civil Defence manager Ben Green said the rainfall overnight was a lot heavier and had come in a sooner than expected. "I'd almost describe it as biblical," he said.
River level gauges had been "pinging continuously" since last night, Green said.
Tokomaru Bay has had the same flooding on Arthur Street as last year, and one household has been evacuated from Anaura Bay.
Rainfall was still heavy and there was more to come across the region, he said.
MetService is warning more than 220mm of rain could fall in Bay of Plenty and up to 150mm in the Gisborne area, through to at least the evening and possibly into tomorrow for Gisborne.
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence is asking people to check for updates for weather and road conditions.
It says a lot of rain is due over the next 24 hours, and conditions are not improving.