Edgecumbe evacuees waking up at the Whakatane War Memorial Hall which doubled as a Red Cross Welfare Centre this morning. Photo/John Borren
Edgecumbe evacuees waking up at the Whakatane War Memorial Hall which doubled as a Red Cross Welfare Centre this morning. Photo/John Borren
Don Smith evacuated so quickly he didn't have time to grab his toothbrush.
It was 8.30am yesterday when the fire brigade told Mr Smith and the two dozen other remaining residents of his retirement village that a stop bank was threatening to burst and they needed to get out.
"Therehadn't been any water yet," he said.
"But they were worried."
Mr Smith aged 85, grabbed a bag of clothes and was out the door in five minutes, driving to Awakeri with his mate.
He left behind most of his belongings and his 13-year-old cat, Dani.
After driving around various small towns with little knowledge of what was going on, the two men ended up at a Red Cross station at Whakatane War Memorial Hall at 2.30pm.
Mr Smith was one of three people to sleep on stretchers in the hall last night - his mate slept in the car, and another couple slept inside.