KEY POINTS:
A Hawke's Bay school this morning forced to close by rising floodwaters will remain shut tomorrow amid concerns over sewage.
Army unimogs earlier evacuated students stranded by flood waters at Puketapu and Maraekakaho schools.
Heavy rains have lashed the region overnight and through the morning with unexpected flooding
closing roads and causing slips.
Puketapu School principal Mark Johnson said the clean-up would continue at the school - 14km west of Napier - but it would not open tomorrow.
Deputy principal Bill Turvey earlier said the water rose "very quickly" about 8.30am and cut off access across the only road to and from the school.
Mr Turvey said they had effectively closed the school and were trying to find out what roads were closed and if the parents were able to ford the waters to collect their children.
The school itself had escaped any flood damage, but the school field was drowned under a metre and a half of water, Mr Turvey said.
A spokeswoman at Maraekakaho School, 23km west of Hastings, said this morning that water was rushing through the school classrooms.
"We've got kids everywhere - they're wading through water that is up to their knees," she said.
Civil Defence confirmed that army Unimogs helped evacuate students from both flooded schools.
Pupils and staff from Puketapu School and Puketapu Child Centre had been evacuated to the Puketapu Hotel.
Maraekakaho School students and staff had been evacuated to Kemblefield Winery and to Maraekakaho Station Woolshed.
Hastings senior fire station officer Rob Karaitiana said the deepest flooding had reached about knee-high.
He said a number of cars that had tried to drive through the flooded roads had stalled and been abandoned.
Mr Karaitiana urged people not to attempt to drive unless it was absolutely necessary, adding that the Fire Service had closed some roads because vehicles were making the flooding situation worse.
"We closed them because people were driving through them - especially the four wheel drives - and they are creating minor waves and the waves are throwing back up into the houses."
Mr Karaitiana said the situation was getting better with the storm water systems starting to cope with the flooding, but they were concerned about reports of an extra 150mm rain that was forecast for tonight.
Hastings Civil Defence senior emergency management officer Paul Hawke said they were taken by surprise early as the heavy rain that was forecast for the ranges ended up falling on the city.
The Hastings suburb of Flaxmere bore the brunt of the wild weather, but so far only two houses were in danger of flooding.
Police were warning motorists to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
"We have got civil defence volunteers and fire volunteers out assisting the public and determining the extent of the flood and from that we will then determine what strategies are required," Mr Hawke said.
"Obviously the first priority is people's safety and whatever else may be required."
Red Cross emergency response units were also available to help people in the affected areas, Mr Hawke said.
Wilson Road, Omahu Road and part of the Napier-Hastings Expressway were closed, and other minor roads were impassable due to flooding.
Rain has also caused slips on the highways around the area.
The MetService has forecast another 60mm to 80mm of rain over the Heretaunga Plains, around Napier and Hastings.
A severe weather watch is also in place for Wairarapa, with the heaviest falls about the eastern hill country north of Masterton.
- NZPA
