Heavy downpours in East Cape have washed out bridges, swept away houses, and left devastation for the area.
A state of emergency was earlier declared in Tairāwhiti after rainfall in parts of the region exceeded one-in-100 years levels.
Some locals were forced to evacuate, and State Highway 35 between Gisborne and Opotiki was closed, cutting off the entire East Cape Highway.
Videos show the bridge at Tokomaru Bay completely washed out in the wet, with the middle of it collapsed into the river below.
That was just one of many ways Tairāwhiti travellers were stopped in their tracks on Wednesday.
Residents near Tolaga and Tokomaru Bay bore the brunt of Tuesday night's storm. The heavy rain was due to hit the region, but it arrived even earlier than expected.
"Some of those little areas have had some really significant rain, so sort of one-in-100-year event for some of those areas," says Dave Wilson from Civil Defence.
The main road around the coast from Gisborne all the way to Opotiki was closed, cut off by slips, flooding, and downed power lines.
In Tolaga Bay, those staying at the camping ground heard the weather well before they could assess any damage in the light of day.
"I like thunder, but by 3 o'clock I was sick of it, it was just so loud and so, it was an eerie feeling, and the rain started about 7 o'clock last night and it never stopped," says Dion Milner, Tolaga Bay Holiday Park camp manager.
"Christchurch earthquakes, it was just a step down from that. I prayed that we got through the night, really," adds holiday park resident Debbie Grace.
Others up the road in Mangatuna and Anaura Bay were forced to evacuate.
Although the weather eased after midday, swollen waterways continued to rage. One river leading to Waipiro Bay carved a coastal road and caught on video was a house being swept away in the current - luckily no one was inside when it struck.
But there are concerns that Thursday's weather could be much worse.
"Going forward, our concern are our rivers from Tokomaru Bay to Tolaga Bay in particular, and keeping an eye on the Hikuwai River that got up to around 12.5 metres," Wilson says.
