By Soumya Bhamidipati of RNZ
More rain forecast for the lower North Island is worrying a community hit by severe slips last week.
Two families in Stokes Valley were evacuated on Thursday night when their homes were left teetering on a cliff-edge.
Jaime and Tim Philips were asleep when heavy rain washed away about four metres of their back lawn.
They awoke to emergency services telling them to pack their things.
"They just said that there's been a lot of rain and there's been a couple of big slips and one was on our property and it just wasn't safe and we needed to evacuate," Tim said.
"It was so confusing, because obviously being half-asleep, but then they took us out and showed us. It was just, yeah, crazy."
The couple and their 13-year-old son spent the night with friends, before being allowed home on Friday morning.
Then, later in the day, the Holborn Drive house was red-stickered and they were asked to leave again.
They're now at an Air BnB, waiting on a geotechnical report, due this Friday, to tell them whether they'll be able to live in the house which Tim grew up in, and that the couple bought from his mum 17 years ago.
With more rain forecast this week, neighbours are uneasy.
Ed Sevilleja lives next door to the Philips' house.
He was awake when the slip happened but said there wasn't a sound.
His property wasn't affected, but with the slip only metres away, he was worried it could be.
"I'm worried the slip might be bigger and might even be riskier for our neighbours," he said.
"The slip, with reference to the nearest part of their house, is getting closer, so yeah, I'm just worried about the rains."
Last week's slips left mounds of earth on Eastern Hutt Road's southbound lanes, cutting off access between Stokes Valley and central Lower Hutt.
Hutt City Council had since reconfigured one of the road's northbound lane to allow for traffic both ways.
Elizabeth Rombel lived further up Holborn Drive, and said while a slip was less of a worry on her property, she was concerned access to the valley could be cut off again.
"I personally would love to see a bridge from Stokes Valley over to the motorway sometime soon, like tomorrow, so that we can access freedom, basically."
Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry said the disruption to Eastern Hutt Road could continue for months, and said Friday's report would determine the council's next steps.
"It really will give us an idea of what the situation is for the stability of that bank, what that means for the road of course, and what that potentially means for the properties that are along that bank and on Holborn Drive as well."
He said the council was contacting affected households.
In the meantime, it's a waiting game for those affected by the slips.
Jaime Philips said she just felt numb.
"The tears are becoming a bit further apart, but still stupid things like going to the supermarket and buying food - we haven't got a home to put it in, so I had a little cry in the car today," she said.
"I think I'm just going to carry tissues everywhere."
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