A family huddled on the roof of their Tolaga Bay home this morning clinging for safety as water rose around them.
A woman, her partner and their four-year-old granddaughter had no choice but to climb on to their roof while they waited for a rescue helicopter to arrive as water smashed against their home.
The woman told Radio New Zealand they woke at 3.30am to the sound of water flapping at it pushed into the house due to torrential rain flooding the area north of Gisborne.
"There was water and silt everywhere, we couldn't open the doors, it was dark ... it was so scary."
By 4am the situation had got worse.
"The rain just wouldn't let up, and we could hear rumbling. Then the wood and debris just started cracking and coming through our windows," the grandmother said.
The woman's partner broke a hole in the clear lite over their deck and the woman climbed through the hole onto the roof before hauling her granddaughter up too. She managed to grab a bag with warm clothes, towels and their driver's licence.
They huddled on the roof until after 7am where they saw the extent of the devastation. The house was surrounded by a river flowing around it and cars and tractors could be seen floating down the river.
"The woolshed has been washed away, the boat's just in the middle of the paddock and just silt and water flowing down from the hills with just big huge logs and that, just everywhere," she told RNZ.
Paramedic Shane Clapperton said it was still dark when they received the call for help and then had to wait until daylight and for the weather to subside before
embarking on the rescue mission.
The only way to collect the family was to airlift them via helicopter.
St John Paramedic Shane Clapperton said it was still dark when they received the call for help and had to wait until daylight and for the weather to clear before embarking on the rescue mission to pick up the family stuck on their roof.
He was able get from the helicopter on to the roof and then assisted the family off the roof.
"It looks like there's been a log jam and that's built up the water and the water has flooded through that valley sending thousands of logs down the valley and into this family's home as well as the water that ended up rushing through the house."
He said there was a lot of water around and that particular valley had taken the brunt of it. One of the family member's vehicles was found about 1km down the river.
"It had pretty much peaked by the time we got there."
From the helicopter he could see debris everywhere.
"There were vehicles and tractors and what not spewing all down the river."
Ramsay did not get a chance to speak with the family other than noting that they were pretty wet and cold – especially the child.
