Daniel Gray in his brother's house in Waiohiki on Saturday. Photo: RNZ/Sally Murphy
A resident in the small settlement of Waiohiki just inland from Napier says the only reason they're alive is because a dog warned them of the impending flood.
The town, which consists of several dozen houses and a marae has been smashed, almost all of the houses were flooded when the Tutaekuri River tore holes through the stop banks earlier this week.
Driving into Waiohiki there is dust everywhere. The silt that washed through with the flood is drying out, but there was still plenty of mud. It is metres deep in some places.
On Saturday a community-led clean up was underway, with people travelling from around the region with diggers and food to help the residents.
Daniel Gray was helping out at his brother's place, because his house still had water going through it.
"This is my brother's whare and as you can see it's a mess. It's a complete write-off - we're not bothering getting the furniture out because the whole thing just needs to be bulldozed."
Amy and Tyler Andrew came from Taradale to run the bbq for those cleaning up in Waiohiki on Saturday. Photo: RNZ/Sally Murphy
The dining table was upside down, silt had settled on the kitchen bench and there was a clear line on the walls where the water rose to.
Gray said he was in his house when everything unfolded earlier this week.
"My nephew knocked on the door he told us we had to get out because the river had burst its banks, by the time we got dressed and stepped out the door she stepped into the water and nearly got swept away.
"My nephew Rodney had his car going so we quickly got into that we took off, another five minutes we would have been trapped in the house."
A significant level of mud in a property in Waiohiki on Saturday. Photo: RNZ/Sally Murphy
He said his nephew's dog woke him - the only reason they were alerted to the rising water.
"We know the river gets high when it rains but shit we didn't know that was going to happen, we didn't get any warning.
"The most important thing is the people and none of our whanau were killed so we are bloody lucky.
"But why was there not more warning, it gets up my nose, they knew how big the cyclone was and yet there was no one monitoring how high the water was getting."
Residents gather in Waiohiki during a clean-up on Saturday. Photo: RNZ/Sally Murphy
Once it got to a certain height they should have come around with sirens or something and told us to get out, he said.
RNZ has approached Hawke's Bay Regional Council about residents' concerns over the lack of warning.
A couple of doors down Albie Eden and his friends were taking a break from shovelling the sludgy mess when we visited on Saturday.
Daniel Gray in his brother's house in Waiohiki on Saturday. Photo: RNZ/Sally Murphy
"It's everywhere, I'm lucky these guys helped me move all the stuff out because I don't really know what to do but all the cuzzies are here all the whanu have come to help."
Eden said the damage was material and he was just lucky to be alive.
"I woke up about 6am and the water was already in the house, I went and opened the door and the cars were already flooded so I told the boys to get out and get on the roof, so yeah we were just sitting there watching all of Waio getting smoked.
"We were up there for like three, three and a half hours and then a boat came up through the golf course and got us off and we evacuated to Tamatea Intermediate."
It's pretty unreal, he said.
