Nearly 50ml of rain fell in just one hour in the Bay of Plenty this morning.
Torrential rain caused flash and surface flooding across the region, keeping emergency services busy with 123 call outs in Mount Maunganui.
Mount Maunganui knew it was in the firing line for bad weather. But when it rained, it poured.
The heavy rain started at 4am. Within an hour, a trampoline was underwater, a backyard had a natural swimming pool, houses were flooded and one business was the source of a small river.
"It's blown me away," says business owner Chris Bosserman.
For some, all their possessions were saturated. Two Argentinian girls here on a working holiday were battling the weather, having only arrived in New Zealand three weeks ago. They were staying at a bed and breakfast managed by Esther Walker.
"I came down downstairs and I was up to my knees and just broke down because this is not the first time actually," says Ms Walker.
A similar thing happened four years ago, and thousands of dollars were spent so the property could cope better next time, to no avail.
"This is the worst," says Ms Walker. "It's worse this time. It's gone right through."
One mum says the water in her garage was over waist-high. And while the heavy rain wasn't welcomed by residents, Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty are confident the rain that fell earlier in the week and in the early hours of this morning has finally broken the drought.
But more flooding is possible in the region with thunderstorms expected tonight.
3 News
source: newshub archive
