Flood victims helicoptered out

A heavily pregnant woman was evacuated by helicopter from a coastal town cut off by flooding in Hawkes Bay.

Emma Dawson, from the small settlement of Waimarama, was 10 days overdue to give birth and, with her husband Brendon, was one of 100 people evacuated to higher ground yesterday after a deluge of wet weather.

Up to 200mm of rain fell on the region in 24 hours, although heavy rain is expected to ease this morning.

Waimarama resident Sharlene Winyard said Ms Dawson - aged in her 30s - was carried by tractor to the local marae where she was picked up by the helicopter, after Civil Defence requested an urgent airlift to Hawkes Bay Hospital.

"If that doesn't bring the baby along, I don't know what will," Mrs Winyard said.

However, she was discharged from hospital yesterday, without giving birth. Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter pilot Dean Herrick said while the crew were flying Ms Dawson to hospital, a 71-year-old man who urgently needed dialysis treatment waved them down from the middle of the field.

"Luckily that guy waved out ... he was out in the field at the back of their house with his family members amongst the waters," Mr Herrick said.

Waimarama was one of 14 coastal communities badly hit by the deluge which caused slips and major flooding in Hawkes Bay.

Te Awanga Motor Camp was also flooded in waters more than 1m deep, forcing the evacuation of 40 permanent residents.

Manager Joy Mildenhall said they had lost all of their belongings in the flood waters.

"People have lost everything, they just had what they were standing up in," she said.

"They've all lost everything, cars and all - gone."

Mrs Mildenhall had lived in the camp for 13 years but had never seen the water so high.

"We had one other flood in 1999 but not like this, nothing like this."

Those who fled the coastal settlements were taking refuge at the Civil Defence base at Haumoana School.

Haumoana School principal Jane Gallen said the centre had opened at 3am yesterday morning and was housing more than 60 people - a number she expected to rise.

"We have the evacuees from Te Awanga Motor Camp and we are expecting people to keep arriving throughout the day," she said.

"People are very fragile, some have lost everything. There's a whole community affected, everyone from seasonal workers to the elderly and people who live in the camping grounds."

Groups of firefighters, police and Civil Defence staff were also based at the small rural school.

"There is also the whole Civil Defence base thing happening here with all the emergency services coming and going," said Ms Gallen.

North of Wairoa, the Kopuawhara Stream had broken its banks and was at a 50-year flood level high, while Napier was also affected by slips and surface flooding.

Authorities were advising residents in affected areas to stay home.

"People, particularly in those coastal areas, who don't need to leave their homes should stay put," said Hastings District Council spokesman Paul Evans. "There's a lot of rain and wind out there and we want people to put their safety first."

Clifton resident Glenn Mossman was woken at 1am to find the water within 15cm of his door. "By 2am it was coming in the front door," he said.

He helped an elderly neighbour out of her home and escaped in his vehicle, returning yesterday morning to find his home cut off by flood waters.

Residents were advised to boil water as the flooding had affected the water reservoir.

Authorities would continue to monitor floodwaters throughout the day, as more rain was forecast over the next 24 hours.

The MetService predicted another 80mm to 120mm to fall in ranges and coastal hills around Hawkes Bay overnight.

Duty forecaster Larissa Marintchenko said the worst of the bad weather will ease this morning.

"We have one warning out for Hawkes Bay in the morning, but we're expecting the rain to ease significantly in the morning."

She said the band of rain that is sitting over the East Coast of New Zealand was "decaying" and should completely dry out by Friday morning.

"It should be a fine and dry weekend of most of New Zealand, except for Northland which has a front moving in from the Tasman Sea which will bring some rain," she said.