April 2017 Floods

Traffic in Auckland has eased as Cyclone Cook heads towards the Central Plateau but the wild weather continues to disrupt flights across the North Island.

MetService says it has not seen a storm like Cyclone Cook since the one in 1968 that sunk the Wahine, killing 52 passengers. Video

Hunters and butchers from around Bay of Plenty are working together to help families left homeless by the devastating flooding in Edgecumbe. Video

More than two-thirds of Edgecumbe homes likely have flood damage, but only half the town is insured and there have been few claims, the Insurance Council says.

The dam upriver from Edgecumbe will be lowered and flood walls will be reinforced, as the region braces for 250mm of rain in 48 hours. Audio

A family who have had most of their farm destroyed by flooding in the small Bay of Plenty town of Waimana are now bracing for more heavy rain. Video, Audio

The government has declared the Bay of Plenty flooding a 'medium-scale adverse event', making financial and other support available.

A retired couple had been in their Edgecumbe dream home for just a week, after 10 years of working and saving in Western Australia's mines, when the flood hit.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is commissioning an independent review of the circumstances that led to the flooding at Edgecumbe. Video, Audio

Some farms near Edgecumbe look more like lakes, with dozens of paddocks still completely underwater days after the swollen Rangitāiki wreaked havoc on the area. Audio

The Prime Minister says the government is discussing a support package for flood-struck Edgecumbe, with more details to be released in the coming days. Audio

Edgecumbe residents have expressed relief at being being let back to their their flood-hit homes to collect belongings.

More than 3500 farm animals have been moved to safety following the massive flooding of Edgecumbe.

Dozens of people have walked out of a public meeting in Whakatāne tonight about the response to this week's flooding - and the cause of it. Video

While Edgecumbe locals may face a long wait before they can return to their homes after major flooding, the cleanup is already in full swing for residents in nearby Taneatua.

The breach in the stopbank that left Edgecumbe inundated with water from the swollen Rangitāiki River has now been closed.

SPCA, MPI and Massey University have teamed up to go door-to-door in Edgecumbe searching for animals.

Some people in the Bay of Plenty town of Edgecumbe will never be able to go back to their homes, the Prime Minister says.

A farmer on the banks of the bursting Rangitāiki River says the flood has ruined at least half of his farm, with water still flowing over his land.

As the Rangitāiki River continues to flow into Edgecumbe, the PM says residents will need ongoing support for some time. See how the day's events have unfolded with RNZ's live blog.