Several precious taonga from Ōtorohanga Museum will not be able to be saved after floodwaters rushed inside it.
By Kim Baker Wilson and Delphine Herbert of RNZ
Almost two dozen members of the community rallied to save what they could.
But it would not be until Saturday that the full extent of the damage could be gauged.
"So by the time we got inside we had called the fire brigade," museum treasurer Amanda Kiddie said.
"There was nothing they could do of course because it was beyond sandbagging.
"We went inside, there were taonga floating around."
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Kiddie said about 20 people turned up to help, and she was immensely grateful to the community for doing so.
"All nationalities, all cultures, everybody just wanting to save our taonga, just amazing," Kiddie said.
When she arrived water was above the bottom of the waka whare's door, the museum's biggest taonga.
They had to cut power because the power outlets were under water, but managed to save some delicate items.
Some whānau took items home for safety.
But the "beautiful" display boards could not be saved.
Damage to the waka would be looked at in the light of day.
"But the flood waters have actually touched our waka ... we're not quite sure how much there is to assess," she said.
"Definitely, I had some tears."
As treasurer, Kiddie said she knew all the hard work, money and grants that had gone into the museum.
"And I looked at it and thought, wow, how much of that is now gone in the space of a few hours?"
She spoke to RNZ after she left the museum and was trying to get home to Maihiihi.
"There's a few cars now stuck but thankfully some of the young local boys are standing there waving people back," she said.
"The road is a mess, there's lots of slips, lots of floodwater ... there's floods on roads we didn't even know would flood.
"I mean, I can't remember even reading the museum ever flooding," Kiddie said.
Waikato Regional Council, just before 11pm on Friday, said 165.5mm of rain had fallen on the Pūniu River at Ngaroma in 12 hours.
Church, marae stood up for people unable to get home
Ōtorohanga District Council said on Friday night that St David's Church on Ranfurly Street was open to anyone who could not make it home.
"If you need somewhere warm and dry, please come by for a hot cup of tea and stay out of the rain," it said.
The town's wastewater system was overwhelmed and stretched to capacity, and the council urged people not to flush toilets or use unnecessary water.
"Reducing water use will help ease pressure on the network and minimise the risk of overflows," it said.
"If you are experiencing flooding, please stay safe and avoid driving through floodwaters. If possible, stay home until conditions improve."
Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke last night posted an update from Civil Defence.
It said Police and FENZ had arrived in Ōtorohanga and were meeting with the Civil Defence controller to get a full picture.
"There are multiple slips on state highway and local roads," it said.
Waikato Tainui said Te Kotahitanga Marae was also open "for whanau to come to get warm and dry".
The Waipā district
Waipā District Council last night said it was fielding multiple calls of flooding across the district.
This was particularly around Pirongia and Te Pahu, it said.
Flooding on Friday night closed Kakepuku Road, Corcoran Road, Grey Road and Waite Road in Te Pahu.
"Our teams are on the ground, and we'll provide updates as soon as we can," the council said.
Debris and boulders were being pushed onto roads.
Liz Parker, who lived on Corcoran Road, said things got bad quickly.
"There has been huge flooding all the way down our little tiny stream, ripping out a lot of plants and trees and bringing boulders down the river.
"I believe that there's a big boulder or something that's blocking the bridge."
Parker said she had never seen it so bad in her five years living in the area.
Waipā Networks said last night it was responding to power outages caused by the severe weather and flooding, with several areas across its network affected.
"Flooded roads and challenging conditions are limiting crew access, and some customers will remain without power overnight," it said.
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