Watch NZH Local Focus: Edgecumbe evacuees fear the worst

Residents have described the moment a wall of water surged toward their houses in the centre of Edgecumbe after the Rangitaiki River broke its banks.

Paul McConnahie was watching the news about the river on TV, then turned to see a three-foot wall of water smash into his house.

"We didn't know it was there, then all of a sudden it WAS there," he says. "From the time we saw it on the TV screen, it was five minutes. It's sad."

Many residents were taken by surprise and forced to leave everything in their homes. The entire town of 1900 has now been evacuated, with many fearing their possessions have been lost.

Mayor Tony Bonne said that would be the most devastating part for many people.

"The hardest time is when you go back and you have to go through a home that's been destroyed, your memories destroyed - that is pretty hard for people. That'll kick in in the next few days."

Young resident Tamati Hape was among those picked up by a truck and driven through the swirling waters.

"We just got carried all the way to dry land, then they told us to jump on a bus to Whakatane. The thing I'm most worried about is my dog that I left at home."

The indundation happened when a concrete stopbank on the edge of Rangitaiki River broke apart. More banks are believed to be under threat.

Cordons have been set up around Edgecumbe to prevent residents from returning to survey the damage until it is safe.

"The banks are very fragile, and we've decided the life is the most important thing here," Bonne said. "So far through the event we've got no loss of life and we want to keep it that way."

Metservice says up to 250mm of rain fell on the region over 36 hours. The Whakatane River has hit records highs of 8.3m.

Bonne has described it as a on-in-500 year event.

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