Homeless women's refuge flooded

A major clean-up is going on after a blocked drain sent a tsunami of water pouring into the ground floor of a Tauranga refuge for homeless women and their children.

Water poured from Cameron Rd in Tauranga down the bank into the lower level of The Haven of Grace house about 7pm on Monday night.

The force of the water buckled the garage door, moved the chest freezer from where it sat and destroyed the boxes of belongings being stored in the garage ready for yesterday's move to a new property.

A line of dirt about a metre from the ground around the base of the house is a reminder of just how high the water came.

Vicki Macnamara and her daughter Casey Fredericks run the refuge which has been based at the house on the corner of Kent St and Cameron Rd for four months.

"We were moving today so we packed everything into the garage and it's all gone," Ms Macnamara said.

Ms Mcnamara lives at the house to provide support for the women living there. Her bed and belongings, including photos of her children when they were young and her diplomas, were also destroyed by the deluge.

Mrs Fredericks said it took about three hours to pump the water from the house.

The storm water also contained sewerage so everything it touched has been contaminated.

Ms Fredericks says the only thing left to do now is "tip it and start again".

The pair are now looking for help to remove all the damaged items and take it to the tip.