Locals in Whiritoa are holding fast after 260mm of rain pelted the Coromandel Peninsula.
"The roads are pretty rough, but the people here are resilient and we've been here before, done that."
Hauraki District Mayor John Tregidga arrived at the beachfront town with food and water - meeting with locals to assess the situation.
"The only worry or concern I have from now, really, is the second lot of weather that's coming down."
About twenty people were present at the Whiritoa Surf Life Saving Club. Locals say they haven't seen anything as bad as this.