Bay of Plenty flooding: New Zealand Deerstalker Association cars and club grounds damaged by floodwaters

Deerstalker club members were enjoying their committee meeting last night unaware floodwaters were rising all around their Tauriko building.

Heavy rain pelted the Bay of Plenty overnight, causing flooding, slips and dozens of emergency callouts.

New Zealand Deerstalker Association Bay of Plenty branch incoming committee member Jill Fryer said flashing lights from police outside the clubrooms were the first warning anything was wrong.

They went out to find their vehicles submerged in water.

“We had no idea. It was a quick escape.”

Vehicles belonging to members of the NZ Deerstalking Association's Bay of Plenty branch committee were flooded outside their clubrooms last night. Photo / Alex Cairns

Fryer said they had to leave the vehicles there.

“It was not a pretty sight.”

Branch president Reuben Hayward said everyone had to walk through the water to get out.

“For the taller people, it was about waist deep. For other people, it was a bit higher.”

Hayward said recovering the cars was being sorted out between individuals and their insurance companies.

Floodwaters had receded this morning but the club’s grounds, off State Highway 29 between Barkes Corner and The Lakes, were reduced to mud and slush.

Bay of Plenty Emergency Management public information manager Lisa Glass said a creek near the clubrooms had risen rapidly.

Flooding at New Zealand Deerstalking Association's Bay of Plenty branch Tauriko clubrooms damaged cars parked outside. Photo / Alex Cairns

She said all people were safe, but vehicles were badly damaged.

Glass said any surface flooding this morningwould take longer to go down because the ground was saturated from the past few weeks.

MetService duty meteorologist Mmaphapelo Makgabutlane said Tauranga Airport had about 71mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 6am today, while across the Coromandel, 50mm to 60mm of rainfall was recorded, including 78mm at Metservice’s Goldcross station.