Evacuations are underway for parts of Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay this morning as wild weather continues to lash the region.
For up-to-date developments, go to our live article here.
A State of Emergency has been declared for Heretaunga Ward in the Hastings District due to coastal inundation and a local State of Emergency has been declared for Wairoa.
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said on social media around 2.30am that the township of Te Karaka, about 30km north-west from Gisborne, was evacuating after the Waipaoa River topped 7.68m.
Residents were asked to avoid unnecessary travel due to deep surface flooding and multiple reports of damage roads. (Source: 1News)
"Extra police have been sent to help move the 700 people who live at Te Karaka. They are being encouraged to either relocate with whānau or to the welfare centre at Te Poho o Rawiri Marae in Kaiti," it said.
The alert warned the town would become completely inaccessible once the river reached 8m.
Haumoana seawall deteriorating
A state of emergency had also been declared in the Heretaunga Ward region in Hastings District due to coastal inundation in Haumoana.
Hawke's Bay Civil Defence said police were "knocking on doors, asking affected residences to evacuate".
"Be prepared with a grab-bag for you and your pets with enough supplies for the duration of the event. If you feel you, your family and/or your property are at risk, immediately contact emergency services on 111."
Duty controller at Hastings District Council Dean Ferguson told Morning Report the State of Emergency in Heretaunga Ward was put in place as the sea wall started to deteriorate.
"There were significant concerns" for inundation, he said. "It's mainly a coastal problem, we are monitoring the rivers."
The high tide was due about 8.30am with the swell likely to be high until late afternoon, Ferguson said.
Heavy rainfall in Wairoa saw the river reach its 5-year flood level and prompted Mayor Craig Little to declare a local state of emergency as severe weather impacts the Council's roading networks and water infrastructure.
"Emergency services and WDC operations staff are out in the community," he said.
Wairoa District Council also said its evacuation centre at Wairoa War Memorial Hall is "open for evacuees this morning".
Little said his heart "goes out to the community".
Earlier this week MetService issued an orange heavy rain warning for Hawke's Bay and Gisborne, particularly from SH5 to Tolaga Bay from 9am Tuesday until 9pm Wednesday.
Gisborne Tairawhiti and Hawke's Bay from Wairoa northwards, including Mahia Peninsula, were also expected to receive "severe gale southerlies gusting 120 km/h in exposed places" until 10am today.
A community Facebook page Māhaki Tiaki Tangata said a welfare centre had been set up at Te Karaka Area School.
'We've been here before' — Te Karaka community leaders
Extra police were sent to help evacuate the 700 people who lived in the town 30km northwest of Gisborne. (Source: Breakfast)
Te Karaka community leaders Pimia Wehi and Dave Pikia told Breakfast they had "been here before", referring to the floods which left the community devastated during Cyclone Gabrielle.
"I guess for us, our community know the drill and have gathered at our local kura, so we currently have 70 on site who have self-evacuated to the Te Karaka Area School and we also have about 80 people who have evacuated into Gisborne or Te Poho o Rawiri Marae," said Wehi.
Pikia said it was "still rainy out there and our rivers are still rising".
"Our first trigger is normally [when the river level gets to] 6.5m, which was around about midnight," Wehi said.
"At that time, our team got together and discussed if we were going to push the self-evacuation button at that stage.
"Due to the darkness and a lot of debris and surface flooding in our area we chose to keep monitoring the rivers closely on the hour and have also been using satellite information."
She said they were "really happy" to have police on site who could visit the elderly and vulnerable to encourage them to evacuate to Te Karaka Area School.
"At the moment, we're currently isolated. And we've got three slips and also maybe potential power lines being down. We need to make sure we move during the day."
Wehi said the community "dig in and do what needs to happen".
"They've just had a hot breakfast and whatever we could get from our pantry. Our community spirit is there and that's really important to us.
"We just have to get on and do what we can do."
Speaking to Breakfast again shortly after 8am, Te Karaka community leaders said the river was sitting "around the 8m mark" and a community meeting would take place at the Area School evacuation centre at 8.30am.
Wehi said the biggest priority was making sure everybody was safe and to encouraged residents to come to the centre if they had not already.
"It's forecast that we are going to be expecting more rain today and tomorrow. So its important that we stick together and stick tight.
Pikia said the rivers continuing to rise was a "major concern" alongside surface flooding, slips and trees down.
"Access is quite major, especially during and also after so there will be a lot of infrastructure that needs to be sorted out after this ordeal," he said.
"Its important we inform our whānau and our community of just what is happening rather than going out and seeing this road and that road.
She said there would be community updates throughout the day.
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said the Waimatā River is expected to reach 9m, "which will mean self-evacuation of households on Riverside Road at Kerrs Gate, and across the river in lower Graham Road."
In an update shortly after 8am, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said State Highway 35 between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay remained closed due to surface flooding and a number of fallen trees.
SH2 at Turiroa and SH38 Wairoa to Lake Waikaremoana were also closed due to flooding.
'Look after each other' — Gisborne Mayor
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told Breakfast they were waiting for daylight to investigate any faults or surface flooding that had not already been reported.
"We have seen surface flooding, we know lots of trees are down and even some street lights are down. As the team gets around the network, we will be able to update the community on those."
She said the Gisborne District Council and Civil Defence had been watching river levels "minute-by-minute overnight" and had let communities know that at a certain level, they would need to evacuate.
"We do know, at certain levels, communities are cut off like our Te Karaka community. We also had to evacuate our Fergusson Drive residents. If you feel unsafe, please self-evacuate," she said.
"We are still expecting quite a lot of rain, but we are asking people, if you don't have to travel today, stay home."
Stoltz said she was "so very proud of how prepared out communities are".
It is tough out there, some schools are closed and I know a lot of people don't have electricity today.
"If you feel unsafe, please evacuate. Look after each other."
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