Tairāwhiti Civil Defence has declared a state of emergency for the region as heavy rain continues to pelt the East Coast.
Residents in Te Karaka are being asked to evacuate as the wild weather is set to continue.
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence Group Controller Ben Green said about 4pm that 50 to 90 Puha and Te Karaka residents have evacuated so far.
Mayor Rehette Stoltz confirmed about 5.30pm that 80 to 90 people had evacuated.
An 8pm update from Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said Whatatutu residents had evacuated as well.
Up to 90 people have been evacuated and major roads have been closed. (Source: 1News)
Tairāwhiti is under a red heavy rain warning from 3pm this afternoon to noon on Sunday.
The heaviest rain is expected today and again from Friday evening to Sunday morning.
Stoltz said there was a sense of anxiety in the region, as it's already "so, so saturated" after Cyclone Gabrielle.
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Peak rates of 15 to 25mm/h are forecast, and thunderstorms are possible.
"This rain is expected to cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding," MetService warn.
"Slips and floodwaters are likely to disrupt travel, making some roads impassable and possibly isolating communities."
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence wrote on Facebook about 2pm that the Waipaoa River has exceeded 7.5m and is expected to keep rising.
The Te Karaka evacuation centre is at the local school, the organisation said earlier.
"If you live by a river and you're concerned, please make a decision to evacuate during daylight hours," it said.
In Gisborne, House of Breakthrough and Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae are open as evacuation centres.
Tairāwhiti Emergency Management manager Ben Green also urged residents to evacuate before it's dark.
"Rivers are already very high in our region," he said.
"The water table is also very high in our region and this extra rain over the weekend will cause surface flooding.
"Our roads are still fragile and we ask everyone to please take extra care and drive to the conditions."
Green added that landslips were already being reported in the region. He urged anyone wanting flood alerts to sign up online.
And a number of roads have already been affected by the severe weather.
Sixty-one roads are closed or restricted, Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said. Full detail of those closures is available here.
All unsealed roads are closed to heavy vehicles — except emergency services, utility providers, Council and Waka Kotahi contractors — from 5pm tonight to 8am Tuesday, the organisation said on Facebook.
SH35 from Okitu to Ruatoria is closed until further notice, as is SH2 from Matawai to Ormond.
SH2 between Whirinaki and Wairoa will close at 5pm, a Waka Kotahi spokesperson said.
"These roads will remain closed overnight and the closures will be reassessed at first light tomorrow," the spokesperson added.
Waka Kotahi regional manager Martin Colditz said the whole network will be closely monitored.
"We may need to close other parts of the network if the rain causes more flooding and slips on those roads," he said.
"In particular, we have concerns about State Highway 38 and State Highway 5 and may need to close these roads at short notice.
"People should avoid unnecessary travel."
The latest updates are available at the Waka Kotahi website. Detours are not in place for either closure.
It comes after the region was battered by Cyclone Gabrielle earlier this year, leaving the ground soaked.
"Periods of prolonged rain are forecast for northern and eastern areas of the North Island and the northeast of the South Island, which will be heavy at times, and also affect areas that are already saturated from recent rainfall," MetService said.
"It's heartbreaking, what's happening in our town," Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz said last week.
"There's so much uncertainty, still."
'Contact your insurer early'
The Insurance Council of New Zealand urged affected people to put their safety first, heed the advice of local authorities, and contact their insurers early if their property is damaged.
"Especially if you need to arrange temporary accommodation or emergency repairs; which should only be done if it is safe to do so," ICNZ chief executive Tim Grafton said.
"Even if you already have a claim in from events earlier in the year, or have done repair work since then, it's essential any new damage is properly recorded and reported to your insurer.
"Insurers will continue to do their best to stand by the people of Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay through this and the ongoing recovery from repeated climate events."
Severe weather warnings
MetService has issued a number of severe weather warnings for parts of Aotearoa.
Orange heavy rain warnings are in place for the Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty west of Te Puke from 9am today to 3pm tomorrow; the Ruahine Range, Kaweka Forest Park, and Hawke's Bay from SH5 southwards from 9am today to midnight Saturday; and eastern Marlborough south of Ward from 9am this morning to 3pm Saturday.
Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group has warned rivers are rising in the region.
"This may result in river channels being full, and possibly some may move outside their normal channels - but still within the floodplain, or to the bottom of any stop banks," a spokesperson said.
"There may also be localised ponding in some areas."
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