Marewa resident Sandy Hunter's house is surrounded by water. Photo / Supplied
At least 23 homes in Napier have been deemed uninhabitable, after a monster deluge struck Napier.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand area manager Ken Cooper said 135 Napier properties had been assessed, and residents evacuated from those deemed uninhabitable.
"As at 10 am today 135 properties had been assessed, and 23 found to be uninhabitable, 12 of those significantly damaged," Cooper says.
"Our multi-agency recovery teams have now completed an initial overall assessment of the impacted areas.
"Urban Search and Rescue and Napier City Council engineers will continue more indepth assessments of properties today.
"Our multi-agency teams are again out in the most severely impacted areas of Napier. Today residents' well-being and welfare is at the forefront of our collaborative recovery effort, and our assessment teams are focusing on people's welfare in the most impacted areas of Maraenui, Marewa and Pirimai."
The teams are made up of personnel and volunteers from Red Cross, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency's Urban Search and Rescue, Napier City Council and Hawkes Bay DHB Public Health.
Residents seeking assistance can call 0800 422 923
The monster rainfall dumped 463 per cent of Napier's monthly rainfall over the city in just a few hours.
Just how much the damage will cost insurance companies is yet to be seen. AA Insurance says it has already handled around 100 home claims and 50 motor claims.
Dramatic stories of survival have emerged following the deluge. One woman was left bruised and shaken but alive after her partner pulled her out of neck-high mud.
Paul Matthews, of Main St, said he pulled his partner free from wreckage after the back of their house was "destroyed" during a slip about 6.30pm yesterday.
Matthews said his street was like a "river" during the torrential downpour, and his house was filled with mud.
Another neighbour, who wished not to be named, said a number of locals rushed to the aid of the buried woman.
"A loud bang was heard, than an old tree came down. All the neighbours rushed to help and found the woman up to her neck in mud."
Meanwhile, Hospital Hill resident Chris Dale is living on the edge – literally.
A tennis-court size chunk of his backyard disappeared in a slip yesterday evening, Hawke's Bay Today said.
Built in 1929, the two-storey bungalow that survived the 1931 Napier earthquake was left dangerously close to the edge of a large, muddy bank.
Mayor Kirsten Wise said today in an update that it was uncertain how long the state of emergency would remain in place.
"A part of that is we don't know with complete confidence what tonight may bring. We'll be reviewing that on a daily basis."
There has been widespread flooding, slips and evacuations after 100mm of rain fell between 12pm and 8pm last night.
Multiple agencies continue to assess damage this afternoon, including Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency's Urban Search and Rescue, Red Cross and Napier City Council.
Some schools that closed today are getting ready to reopen tomorrow, including Porritt Primary and Tamatea Primary, according to Facebook announcements.
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