A state of local emergency is still in place for Tairāwhiti, after two days of torrential rainfall flooded large areas of the district.
Families again had to evacuate in the middle of the night.
Extensive road closures have effectively cut the region off from the rest of the country.
Some rivers - full of debris - have burst their banks or are close to doing so.
And communities are rallying to ensure neighbours and whanau are safe, fed, and cared for.
RNZ reporter Andrew McRae spoke to the Emergency Management Minister Kiritapu Allan outside the emergency co-ordination centre in Gisborne.
