Of the 200 yellow stickers, 199 were a result of Cyclone Gabrielle and one was from the recent rainfall.
Gisborne District Council building services manager Ian Petty says these numbers could change.
“There are a number of properties we are actively monitoring where we hope we won’t have to issue a sticker, but we are providing ongoing surveillance and advice.”
Mr Petty says the figures from this month’s rain event are all related to land movement.
“A large proportion of the Cyclone Gabrielle reds are also related to land movement on properties.”
When the first tree fell down the bank on Sunday Ms Hunter managed to get hold of the council’s principal scientist Murry Cave.
“He was fantastic — he came straight out and had a look and told us what we needed to do immediately,” she said.
“The council has been great actually in terms of help and advice. Later when I thought the bank was still moving, he came out again.”
The family spent Tuesday and Wednesday packing up.
“We got movers and we found storage and we’ve had such amazing help from Mike’s work at Eastland Port and my work and friends and neighbours and family. They have been awesome.”
They are now living with Sarah’s parents who came back from a holiday on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland to find five extra humans, a dog and a cat had moved in.
As the heavy rains continued last weekend Sarah recalls telling her husband that she thought the puriri tree was going to come down but she didn’t expect it to take the whole bank with it.
“We lost the massive puriri tree, a totara tree and a huge kauri tree which I’m really sad about.”
“The rain and the weight of the trees together has taken the whole bank away.”
“We are in an erosion hazard zone but it’s been like that for twenty odd years.
“It seemed to be quite stable when we moved in three years ago.”
Sarah said the problems began back in January when Cyclone Hale struck the region.
“We lost a really big tree and we had to have another one chopped down. But we were OK through Gabrielle.”
She was thankful their villa, which is more than 100 years old, has not sustained any damage.
The couple had slowly been renovating the house which has a new roof, new bathroom and carpets and they are hoping they might be able to relocate it.
On the other side of town, Brendon and Janine Fiebig’s family home has also been red-stickered.
They said they were very grateful to have had some advance warning to “start packing” before the rain started last Thursday.
Two retaining walls on either side of their hillside property collapsed due to the heavy rain last week with soil pressing through the walls of their house.
Mr Fiebig said they were able to pack up and organise a storage unit before moving into an Airbnb.
The insurance process was under way and the family will receive a capped accommodation allowance which would allow them to continue to pay the mortgage while renting temporary accommodation.
“Everyone has just been so incredible and supportive — my colleagues, my wife’s colleagues and the council,” Mr Fiebig said.
Murry Cave “has gone above and beyond in terms of his advice and availability” with the couple sending photos through over the weekend.
On a flat site across the road from the Fiebigs’ property Tracey Johnston said she and her immediate neighbour were very worried the hill could subside and come down over their properties.
“It’s like a ticking time bomb and we are just waiting and watching the land move slowly, but it could just go,” Ms Johnston said.
“We’re scared the hill is going to slide down on top of us.
“The land is so saturated and you can hear the rain rushing down in the storm water drains.”
Last Wednesday she was informed her property had been listed as a Category 2 which means the council will continue to monitor it.
Concrete barricades have been put on the other side of the road under the red-stickered properties on the hill and there is a gutter on her side of the road to collect any surface water.
“We really need to let the land dry out and we can’t afford to get any more rain.”
Signs of movement the council has advised people to look out for include; cracking of the land or irregular mounds or unusual areas of ponding; creaking noises in the house; doors sticking; retaining walls leaning, or gaps behind them and cracks forming on interior walls, particularly around Gib at windows or doors.
