Heavy rain has eased but the state of emergency remains in place in the Gisborne area after two months' worth of rain fell in 36 hours, causing widespread flooding.
Flooding at Sponge Bay, Gisborne, on Thursday. Photo: LDR / Alice Angeloni
The state of emergency was declared in the area yesterday as heavy rain pounded the region and high tide was due to hit at 6pm.
Several families from the Kaiti and Sponge Bay areas were evacuated and civil defence staff stayed on guard overnight across the Tairāwhiti region.
Inflatable rescue boats were used to help move residents out of from flooded homes.
More rain is forecast, though the heavy rain warning has been lifted and floodwaters were able to drain overnight.
"It's very, very wet, it's raining outside. It slowed down a little bit overnight but we're expecting two more days of rain," Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told First Up. "We've got a lot of roads damaged, we've got a lot of roads and a state highway that are just one lane, but otherwise we're looking at surface flooding in town at this stage."
Gisborne Civil Defence controller Dave Wilson told Morning Report the ground was saturated ground and more landslips were likely.
"We have rain forecast for the next 12 to 24 hours and then again further into the weekend.
"We're concerned, with the ground as saturated is it as across the whole of the region, that we're going to see more slips and landslides occur and we're worried about damage to the roading network and people's homes."
Gisborne city was the main concern, he said. "There are a number of properties on the hillsides around Gisborne where we know that there's been significant rainfall, and some of those have had some quite decent sized slips move yesterday.
There had been "significant volumes" of rain further up the coast as well, and civil defence was monitoring the impact.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018819267/gisborne-flooding-sponge-bay-update "Surface flooding is still on the roads but nowhere near some of the homes" - RNZ Māori News Director Māni Dunlop on the situation on Friday morning
Stoltz is asking people to alert the council to any damage. "We are checking but we also need your ears and eyes to let us know."
"We are asking people, please, if you do not have to travel today, please stay off the roads."
Tolaga Bay community defence officer Greg Shelton said another 25mm of rain fell overnight and there was a lot of wind, but the Hikuwai River level had fallen.
Most of the flooding in the Uawa Tolaga Bay area had dropped but roads were still down to single lane and slips were expected, he said.
"People tend to think when it stops raining that will be the end of an event but from now on that's when we get a lot of land movement."
Civil Defence reported few calls overnight and Fire and Emergency in the area did not receive any requests for help.