Civil defence officials in Gisborne say properties have been evacuated in the suburb of Mangapapa as heavy rain causes drains to flood and creeks to rise two metres. Police are moving door-to-door, and an evacuation centre has been set up at the House of Breakthrough on Potae Ave.
“There is severe surface flooding for the whole of the Mangapapa. Fire and Emergency have closed roads in and around the areas from Lytton High School to Winter St.”
Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz said severe downpours started at 3am, and three hours later it was still "pouring".
"The rain woke everyone up in Gisborne," Stoltz told RNZ.
"It's rain I have not heard in my 22 years in Gisborne."
Ormond Rd resident Helen Amanda told The New Zealand Herald she noticed water surrounding her property at 4am.
”My daughter called us because the police woke them, alerting us to flood. Police told us we need to be ready to leave.
”We are starting to feel trapped and a bit hopeless because there’s nothing you can do to stop the weather.”
Amanda said some people had metre-high water go through their houses.
”It was up to our knees. It is slowly draining away but our house is a little raised so we are very lucky.”
Mangapapa resident Matt Dawson said the situation in the area was very serious last night, with many evacuations throughout the night.
”Surf life-saving boats were deployed. The water was very high. The water has subsided but drains are blocked causing more flooding.”
Kory Moorcock tried to evacuate from his Shelley Rd home but couldn’t get far because a bridge was flooded.
Moorcock told the Herald he was woken up at 3.30am by non-stop downpours, he looked outside and the water was up to his front door, two metres higher than what the creek usually runs at.
“It is pretty crazy. When Hale came it was halfway up from our doors, a metre above the banks; the last cyclone water didn’t come up, and this time it’s just bad.
“It’s gone through our fences, spas, and sheds.
“We tried to evacuate, but the bridge to get to town was under water. There is no way to get a vehicle out there.
“It feels like you don’t get a break.”
MetService have issued an orange heavy rain warning for Gisborne, saying a further 30 to 40 mm of rain on top of what has already fallen is expected to fall throughout the day into the early afternoon.
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence is asking people to keep off the roads if possible, with surface flooding in several parts of the region. It says a section of State Highway 5 - the Napier to Taupō Road - has reportedly slipped away near Te Pōhue, north of Eskdale.
“Avoid driving through any floodwaters. Keep off the roads if possible. If you are out on the road, drive to the conditions and expect delays and hazards.”
Further north on the coast, State Highway 35 between Ruatoria to Tikitiki was closed shortly after 7pm on Monday due to flooding, leaving Tokomaru Bay cut off once again. Some local residents have described hearing particularly heavy downpours from about 2am.
Napier mayor Kirsten Wise said there were reports of flooding in the city and people should stay off the roads where possible.
