"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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