Residents scattered over the rohe

Rai Valley residents were going about their normal lives – going to work or school, heading out to the farm – when they were unexpectedly cut off, trapped either at home or scattered around the rohe.

Caroll Hamilton has had her family split. While she and partner Josh Simmons were still at home, her 14-year-old son, Kade, is stuck in Nelson, staying with his grandmother.

‘‘He has only got his backpack – he went to school and that was it,’’ she said.

‘‘I don’t know how I can get him home other than the 10-hour round trip . . . he wants to come home more than anything.’’

She said she felt lucky – her home was not damaged and though Kade was stuck in town, she had been able to stay in touch with video calls.

Hamilton said she was heading out for the first time since the weather bomb hit, trying to get to Havelock to pick up urgent supplies.

‘‘We haven’t been anywhere since this happened last week – I have to go or we won’t be making dinner tonight.’’

She said the family had only been living in the Rai Valley for a few weeks before the rain hit.

‘‘The community has been really incredible; we have met some really incredible people.’’

Another split family is the

Pattersons – Rai Valley Volunteer Brigade chief fire officer Nigel is in the area joining in the emergency response, while Jess and their 8-year-old daughter, Georgia, are stuck on the other side of the slip, staying with Georgia’s grandmother in Motueka, with the two family dogs boarded by the SPCA for emergency accommodation.

This was the second flood in six months to hit their farm, Jess said.

‘‘We had a flood in February, it totalled our property. We just had our house rebuilt, we literally just moved back in a few weeks ago.’’

Patterson said this flood had looked worse than the last but either by chance or thanks to changes to the landscaping including a new floodbank since February, this time the house had been spared.

‘‘We can’t believe it didn’t get in, we saw video our neighbours took and thought our place was totalled.’’

On Wednesday when the rain hit, Patterson had been driving out as normal but she said she got a bad feeling about it.

‘‘I just thought ‘if we don’t get out now, we won’t’ ... it just came up really fast.’’

Patterson turned back, packed a bag for her and Georgia, and headed out to Motueka. She said she was trying to protect Georgia from the flooding as much as possible, as the last one had been quite traumatic.

Now she was keen to get back as soon as possible to start helping with the clean-up. Though the house was OK, she said the rest of the farmland was significantly damaged.

‘‘It is frustrating, not being able to get in and do anything – but I just met someone today who just red-stickered their house, so I have nothing to complain about.’’

Simone Cook was at work at The Flooring Room in Nelson when the heavy rain first started to hit on Wednesday.

‘‘My workmate said I should leave but I knew if I went home, I could get stuck,’’ she said.

Home is Whangamoa, a 40-minute drive from town. Fearing the loss of income if she got trapped, Cook decided to stay in Nelson. She has spent the past six days crashing with friends, waiting to hear when residents will be allowed back to check their properties.

‘‘My friends have been awesome, I am just very aware I don’t want to stay too long.’’

The uncertainty was difficult, Cook said. Although she has good neighbours who are keeping an eye on things, she is anxious about possible damage to her rural property.

Despite the stress of her situation, there was nowhere else she would rather live, she said.

‘‘It took me two and three quarter hours to get to work from Richmond. It reminds me why I like where I live.’’

ANTHONY PHELPS/STUFF Marc Nightingale, Kate Nightingale and Casey Caldwell on Kokorua Rd in the Whangamoa as residents of the Rai Valley talk about their experiences in the recent flooding and cleanup.