The local man, who owns a farm in nearby Whenuakite, described the flooding as “worse than Bola” and “bigger than Gabrielle”. “He evacuated them successfully and they’ve gone to a neighbour’s but he’s gone back to stay in his home with his animals. “We’re going to be in a lot worse trouble the next high tide later this evening, it’s going to be even higher. and it’s still raining here.”A state of emergency is currently in place across several regions including the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and the Whangārei District. Locals were advised not to swim or drive in floodwater and warned to avoid all non-essential travel.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 21, 2026 04:16 UTC