Those fleeing the stricken town are being advised to head to Firmin Lodge in Kawerau which has become the area's welfare centre.
In Whakatane, people are being told to go to the Salvation Army and the War Memorial Hall.
Red Cross disaster management officer Gavin Newton says roads into Whakatane are becoming congested, and motorists need to take extreme care.
People evacuate Edgecumbe. Photo / John Borren
He says a number of roads are affected by slips and flooding, and anyone that doesn't need to travel should stay off the roads.
There are no plans to close the bridge into Whakatane, but people are being urged not to stop on it.
Four Red Cross teams are making their way to the area to help support emergency services and the Salvation Army.
The public were being asked not to contact the Whakatane Hospital if they required prescription medications as this was causing congestion.
A milk tanker in Gow Road this morning. Photo/News Whakatane
Some evacuees had left their meds at home in the rush to leave and were turning up at the hospital accident and emergency department for replacement supplies.
"The rain was pretty constant last night but this morning it was beautiful sunshine. In a decision I now deeply regret I went to work. I was halfway to Papamoa when I heard Edgecumbe residents were being evacuated. I turned around because my children were at home... I went right through the cordons at Matata - nothing was stopping me getting to my babies.
"When I got home the water was already waist-deep in the streets. I managed to get some valuable documents out of the house and everyone else and we headed to Awakeri.
"Now it looks like we're about to lose everything."
Flooding in Edgecumbe. Photo / George Novak
Tubb said she had never seen anything like this before.
"I'm worried sick. There's really no words, as the panic subsides the shock is setting in.
"The most important thing is that everyone has got out safe... Now we just need to put one foot in front of another and get through this."
