Officials have declared a state of emergency in the Gisborne region amid record rainfall, with a welfare centre opening in the area.
The state of emergency was declared at 2pm by Civil Defence, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.
"Civil Defence has declared a state of emergency across the whole Tairāwhiti district as persistent rain lashes our district.
"Surface flooding around the district has closed several roads and some residents around Pouawa and Loisels have self-evacuated."
One resident told Newshub in an email some houses were starting to flood.
The ground in the area was already saturated and with high tide expected at 6pm, the situation was being closely monitored, Civil Defence controller Dave Wilson said.
"Road conditions are changing by the hour, please drive to the conditions and only travel if you need to.
"Links within our rural communities have been activated to ensure everyone is safe."
Civil Defence said a welfare centre is open at the Wainui School Hall for anyone in the area affected by flooding.
Earlier observations by forecaster NIWA showed one month's worth of rain had already fallen in Gisborne on Thursday.
MetService is forecasting more heavy rain for Gisborne as well as Hawke's Bay. Heavy rain warnings remain in place for both those regions.
"Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly," the forecaster warned. "Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous."
