'WE PUSHED OURSELVES TO THE LIMIT'
One West Auckland man was trapped in the second storey of his home after swimming three horses up the stairs to safety when his house was flooded during Kumeū's second wettest day.
The Huapai man, who lives on Matua Rd, posted to the local Facebook page early Tuesday morning saying the family has lost everything.
"We have pushed ourselves to the limit swimming horses in and bringing them up into the second level of our house.
"We lost all of our cars. All of our belongings, everything is gone.
"Thankfully we were able to get the kids taken out by jet ski, which is the most important thing."
They had headed out for the last pony who had disappeared. "She is absolutely buggered and barely made it."
Squashed into the top floor with three horses, two dogs and four puppies, he pleaded with anyone who had spare hay or dog food to bring it over.
RESCUING ANIMALS
While some residents spent Tuesday cleaning up, Samantha Mason also spent her time rescuing animals.
Mason had to wade out in the water to rescue piglets from a flooded Waimauku farm.
She put them in her jacket and walk them back to the house. She said she had rescued about 20 piglets, some that are less than a week old. Some did not survive.
'DOING WHATEVER WE CAN'
A family with a young baby was rescued from their property near Kumeū on an inflatable rescue boat after the deluge.
Water was lapping at the ranch sliders at Hayley and Dylan's single-level property, and they had been left without electricity or drinking water.
Resident Briar Dunn told the Herald said she would pick them up and driving them to the police station before taking them to meet her mother, who was parked on the other side of the floodwaters and couldn't get through.
"They pin dropped me their address because you couldn't see their mailbox," said Dunn.
Dunn and her family had offered to help with rescue efforts, using their vehicles and jet skis. Their house wasn't affected but their farm was.
"We're flooded ourselves. We live on a farm just out of town and we're underwater but I can't do anything until the water recedes so there's no point in me panicking.
"We're just out there doing whatever we can."
"SHE LOST EVERYTHING"
Tania Dicks-Maurice and her 25 foster dogs lost everything after her house was flooded.
"She lost everything in the flood, her house, her supplies, her pet supplies and her furniture. Her son's car that he saved up for is gone to ruins," fellow resident Madison Adolph told the Herald.
"She has lived in her house for 12 years and nothing like this has happened," she said.
"WE BETTER GET READY TO GO"
Henderson resident Peter Lee told the Herald he woke up around 12.30am to the sound of his toilet bubbling.
"I thought what the heck is that?
"I looked out and it [water] was high so I woke up the wife and kids and thought we better get ready to go."
In the time the family was getting to leave their property Lee said the water had risen one metre - and was "crotch deep".
Lee and his wife also own a cattery and were able to safely evacuate all four cats currently staying there.
The family left their flooded home in the early hours of the morning but say "everything is damaged".
WATER UP TO HIS KNEES
Karekare resident Peter King was on his computer late last night, inside his home where's he's lived for the past decade, when he heard an unusual roaring sound outside.
Outside was a shocking sight. The usually mild stream near the property had burst its banks and was feet from his house.
"It was only a matter of minutes and it was up to his knees," his daughter said today as her father returned to the rental property to survey the damage.
Among the things lost were his prized tools.
King spent the night sheltering at a neighbour's house. He'll stay on his daughter's couch for now but hopes the city can find him a more permanent solution soon.
It's been a traumatising day, but there are others worse off than him, his daughter said.