Weather

Slips and storm damage have cut off access to the Kahurangi National Park from Tasman District.

Homes have been destroyed, schools are closed, power is out for many, and families are in emergency accommodation, as the scale of the damage becomes clear. Audio

Two homeowners have been forced from their houses while engineers assess a slip that slammed into the properties on Sunday.

A path of destruction has been cut through a rural settlement in Motueka Valley, with one local blaming slash, saying "thousands of tonnes of logs and silt" came down. Audio

Powerful floodwaters have displaced families and stunned locals as the Motueka River roared through the valley.

Bridges are gone, roads are destroyed, and some locals have been without water for over two weeks as flood recovery drags on.

Locals say a big clean-up is underway, after the river burst its banks.

A local business owner guided RNZ through the "warzone" caused by a flooded creek.

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell flew over the damaged area in a helicopter, before addressing media on Saturday.

The Nelson-Tasman region remains under a state of emergency, though the rain has mercifully eased.