Flooding signs out to warn drivers in Tai Rāwhiti. Photo: RNZ/ Kate Green
Two homes in the Gisborne region have had to be evacuated this morning because land movement is causing them to shift.
Tai Rāwhiti has had days of persistent rain. A state of emergency was declared - but ended on Sunday.
Gisborne Civil Defence manager Ben Green told Midday Report houses in a couple of areas are physically moving, to the point doors cannot open or there are gaps in the structure.
About 20 properties were at risk and teams were out doing assessments, he said.
Listen to the full interview here
It was likely more homes would be added to its red or yellow-stickered list, but the two homes people were removed from were of greatest concern, Green said.
The rain was "persistent" today and authorities were banking on some sunshine to start fixing roads and infrastructure as it was unsafe to do so in bad weather, he said.
About 91 local roads were closed, but the closure of State Highway 2 because of a slip at Otoko Hill, near Te Karaka until at least Friday was causing issues for freight.
It meant freight trucks, such as those belonging to Foodstuffs, were having to take a longer route to get goods into the region.
Restoring roads and access to the region was a priority, Green said, as it removed the requirement for welfare support - particularly to communities that were cut off.
Earlier, Gisborne District Council's principal scientist Dr Murray Cave said the soil in Tai Rāwhiti resembled melted ice cream.
The region was facing a situation where landslides would get worse over winter and it would not be until summer that land stability would come right again.