Flooding on farmland at the base of the Awakino Gorge on Tuesday. Photo: Supplied / Bree Joyce
The Waitomo District Mayor says the damage caused by this week's heavy rain and flooding is likely to cost the district millions of dollars.
Heavy rain battered the region in the early hours of Tuesday morning, causing rivers to rise and flooding roads, farms and some houses.
John Robertson said there had been "considerable" damage throughout the district, including in Awakino, Benneydale, and the Marokopa area.
"The rainfall was huge."
He said there was an "absolutely huge" clean-up ahead, as many local roads and state highways remain closed.
He said rivers throughout the district climbed as the rain fell, and the event was much larger than he expected.
"The Awakino River rose to a level that we think has never been seen, ever before."
The council was still assessing the extent of the damage, Robertson said, estimating that up to a dozen houses had been significantly flooded, mainly in the Awakino area.
Some properties between the Waitomo Caves and Marokopa, and in Awakino, were likely still cut off due to roads being closed, he said.
Paddocks throughout the district in low-lying areas had been inundated with water.
"You can imagine them being totally flooded and fences with logs and things through them."
The impact to local roads would be particularly costly, he said.
"In our roading network millions of dollars of damage will have occured, we've still got roads closed, state highways are still closed through our area."
The New Zealand Transport Agency said several state highways would stay closed until 8pm on Friday, due to the extent of the damage.
That included State Highway 3 at Awakino between Mōkau and Piopio, with multiple slips south towards New Plymouth.
State Highway 4 is still closed between Eight Mile Junction and Taumarunui, and State Highway 43, the Forgotten World Highway, is closed from Whangamōmona to Taumarunui.
In Waikato, State Highway 31 is closed between Ngutunui to Oparau, and would stay closed overnight.
NZTA's Liesl Dawson said rain had stopped but the ground was sodden, new slips were opening up and there's flooding and debris over parts of the roads.
"Our first priority is the safety of road users and our crews. The roads are still unsafe and need to be properly assessed once water levels have receded,"
Dawson said crews were working as quickly as possible to reopen roads for the weekend.
Ruapehu's Civil Defence controller Clive Manley said five households in Matiere, Ōhura, and Waimiha were in need of supplies.
He said flood waters were hampering roading repair crews and welfare delivery in these areas.
KiwiRail had delivered supplies to two families on the Ongarue Back Road, including Mana Ariki Marae.
People were urged to take care driving, with water covering roads in some places, and multiple slips.
Manley said the district's emergency operations centre was now transitioning into recovery mode.
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