Update 2023-02-14 (5): The residents of Waipawa and Waipukurau had to evacuate since streets in the two towns were flooded. At least two people died in severe weather incidents in Napier and Hawke’s Bay.
Update 2023-02-14 (4): According to the latest media reports, hundreds of residents in Dargaville are being evacuated due to the Awakino River bursting its banks. The town of Wairoa in Hawke’s Bay remains cut off. In Napier’s Te Awa Estate, people are also being told to evacuate due to flooding. While dozens of roads have been reopened on North Island, hundreds remain closed. This includes sections of SH2, SH51, State Highway 2 between Napier and Hastings as well as Highway 35 between Gisborne and Hicks. Tairawhiti has sustained severe damage. Tokomaru Bay and Tolaga Bay have been flooded. As of Tuesday (14 February), at least 2,500 people have been displaced.
