Residents of the town are in turmoil as flood waters have trapped locals and forced others to evacuate their homes. Among those trapped is about 200 visitors at the Agrodome tourist attraction.
Ines Friese, who lives on Pioneer Rd, has been left scared after water from the Ngongotaha Stream "raced down the road" towards her.
"We were just dropping something to my mother-in-law around the corner on Mohi Cres, water just came shooting down the street.
"I ran to check she was okay and saw a caravan floating down the road."
She said the water was creeping up her driveway but she hoped it wouldn't get any higher.
"It didn't look like it was bad, even five minutes before it happened it was hardly raining.
"It's like something out of a horror movie.
"There are cars in the water, houses that have their garage underneath and a house down the road that's still being built that's covered."
"Flood water is covering the road and they can't get out."
A Rotorua Daily Post reporter at the scene said the tourist attraction was surrounded by water.
"The whole place is flooded. A stream at the entrance has burst its banks. Whole entrance is flooded and looks like a tourist bus is trapped in there. All the life stock are trying to get to higher ground too.
Residents on Western Rd were also preparing to evacuate as the stream's waters have risen to their homes.
He said it was "chaos" because residents could not get back into their homes.
Rotorua Lakes Council's Bruce Horne, who is leading the Emergency Operations Centre, said the council had been made aware of the Agrodome situation and was sending a crew to the Ngongotaha area. He said the crews would help with an evacuations needed.
Several roads have been closed and some residents are describing the downpour as the worst flooding to hit in years.
