Gisborne is in the firing line for more bad weather.
Parts of the area are already recovering from last week's heavy rain, and now authorities are bracing themselves for more heavy rain.
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Whangara School was hit badly by last week's torrential rain, with children only returning to their muddy playground on Monday. Now Principal Lisa Maniapoto says they're again on high alert.
"Everything's so soggy, so wet - the roads are already slippery, so we just need to be really cautious about how quickly we need to evacuate," she says.
"We've already touched base with Civil Defence just to make sure that we can get our kids home safely again."
It was just a week ago a four-year-old girl and her grandparents were rescued off their roof in rapidly rising floodwaters in Tolaga Bay.
Civil Defence is on standby preparing for another dose of flooding, while storm-damaged roads remain closed on the East Coast.
"Our major concern is rivers rising," says Gisborne mayor Meng Foon.
"The other issue is obviously, should it be in the forestry area, that slash may come down again and close our roads and wash our bridges out."
The land hasn't had much time to recover from the last onslaught from nature.
"Gisborne Tairawhiti is already saturated with a lot of moisture in the ground, so this additional rain is not going to help the situation," Mr Foon added.
"We just need to be mindful and careful, but who knows what the gods will bring?"
Authorities are on high alert as night falls, with wind and rain expected to intensify.
Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.
Newshub.
