The northern Hawke's Bay community of Wairoa has been 'devastated' by Cyclone Gabrielle, with extreme flooding cutting off the town from the rest of the region.
The area currently has patchy electricity with little internet or cellphone reception, making it difficult to contact friends or family.
Low water supply is also an issue.
Flooding submerged large parts of the town and surrounding farms, forcing residents to flee their homes.
Footage shows just how widespread the devastation is, with kilometres of floodwater and mud enveloping the community.
When the cyclone hit, Bennett Toi stepped outside to see what he described as a "river" rushing down his street.
He only had so long to get out.
"I only had a second to react; I could only grab so much," he told 1News.
"There's mud everywhere; it was coming up through the floor."
He said that while the devastation is serious, he's just happy people are safe.
"I'm just so blessed that it didn't get us while we were sleeping; in that way, I'm still alive; we're still kicking."
For some, being unable to contact friends and family is the hardest part.
"It's very devastating in Wairoa, and I'm worried about my family," a woman at a community centre told 1News while whipping tears away.
"I wanna go see if my baby is okay. I hope she hasn't been washed away."
Water is also restricted in town, meaning residents can't shower or wash their clothes.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little told 1News the town was coping, but the biggest struggle is getting fuel and water in.
He said this storm was "different" from anything the community had seen.
"It was absolute devastation when it hit us; we weren't expecting it, it happened so fast - banks burst over the show grounds, and people just had no time," he said
"We've had many, many storms, but this one was so different."
He said the most significant issue after the cleanup would be welfare, with people losing their livelihoods and homes in the aftermath of the storm.
"We're in a better place, but we're gonna have a lot of welfare issues with people because they've lost their homes, they may not be insured, they still gotta get rid of their carpet, their furniture is munted - we're not there yet.
"It's heartbreaking," he said.
SHARE ME