Twenty homes flooded as extent of Wairoa damage revealed

About 20 homes flooded in Wairoa last night, with at least 50 people evacuated to escape the overflowing water.

State Highway Two is closed near the intersection with Kiwi Valley Road. State Highway 38 is closed between Frasertown and Waikaremoana due to flooding and slips.

More than 350 homes in Wairoa are without power according to Firstlight.

In Gisborne, over 150 homes are facing power outages.

Mayor Craig Little said he was driving from house to house on Friday and saw six inches of water through some homes.

On Kopu Road along the Wairoa River, he said residents were working away cleaning their properties.

"It's happened before and they've just said, 'we've gotta get on with it'."

Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 brought severe damage to the region, with frustrated residents pushing for work on the river ever since.

In February, a groyne project was proposed and projected to cost more than $12 million, aiming to better control the river movement.

Little said the council was in the process of asking the government for funding.

"That's our big mission now, it's proved that we've really gotta try and keep that mouth in one position, less resistance so it can go straight out."

"We'll just do our best to keep pushing it with the government... and hopefully we'll get some traction."

Paul Toothill, who lives along Kopu Road next to the Wairao River, self-evacuated to Mahia last night.

Returning home on Friday morning, he found debris and rubbish across the road, stopping just before his home's concrete pathway.

During Cyclone Gabrielle, Toothill and his family were one of many who were forced out of their homes due to flooding.

Toothill said he remembered jumping over his backyard fence to escape the water coming at him

This time, his wife didn't want to take any chances.

"People are very conscious of what happened last time."

He said he was in full support of a river groyne, and potentially some dredging at the entrance way to the bar as well.

"I think the rivers tryna tell us something here.

"I just hope the powers to be really get a hold of what's happening here."