Emergency crews are preparing to work through the night with scores of callouts caused by Cyclone Gabrielle across the Coromandel already.
In Pauanui, power has been out for much of the day, forcing stores like the Supervalue into a race against time.
As shoppers looked for cans in the dark, new mum Katie Wardenburg stocked up on just-in-case formula for her two-week-old son.
“Obviously with Kopu Hikuai closed and all the other roads maybe closing you are pretty isolated so just hunkering down and hoping for the best,” said Wardenburg.
Fire crews up and down the peninsula have been working for hours, and it will be a sleepless night ahead for many as some roofs are already starting to lift.
Up to 40 millimetres of rain an hour is expected throughout Monday night.
But despite the warnings, authorities are concerned not everyone is taking the threat seriously.
The biggest downpours are expected between 12:00am and 5:00am.
Officials are preparing to hunker down through the night, though emergency shelters remained relatively empty on Monday evening.
Officials are reiterating the seriousness of the threat posed, and implore people to not hesitate to evacuate if they feel they should.
Self-evacuating while it is daylight and relatively safer saves emergency services a lot of trouble.
Emergency crews say they are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
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