Flooding on the Coromandel Peninsula continued throughout the day.
photograph: Provided by / Thames Coromandel District Council

A Palmerston North woman has praised the “community of carers” who came to the rescue of her elderly father on the flooded Coromandel Peninsula.

Precautionary state of emergency is in place after tropical storm It hit the area, flooding homes and campgrounds and cutting off roads.

Debbie Gray’s 94-year-old father was staying at Bach in Tairua when heavy rain started flooding the garage.

The inside and surrounding area of ​​the garage was flooded with water, and the father was unable to open it.

As the weather did not improve, Mr Gray put out an ‘SOS’ on the Tairua Community Facebook page to see if someone could come to him and open his garage.

Hikuai floods on the Coromandel Peninsula.
photograph: Supplied

“I know Tairua is flooded, but if you have a car you might be able to get out of the danger zone,” she wrote.

Ms Gray said there had been an incredible response from the community.

“First and foremost, the people were amazing,” she said.

“Honestly, within five minutes, I got a response saying, ‘I’m on my way there, I saw him, the car left.’ So I can’t say enough about that community. It’s just coming together.”

Gray said this isn’t the first time the community has banded together to check on the safety of their neighbors.

Coromandel landslide, November 2025.
photograph: Provided by / Mieke Kletting

“I remember [Cyclone] Gabriel – and even the community before that – the community seems to be coming together and supporting each other in ways like “getting out and checking on your neighbors and looking out for each other.”

“It’s just incredible.”

Gray said her father’s car was removed from the garage and moved to the dryer, and the house did not flood.

She said it was comforting to know that people on Facebook were ready to care about others.

“People are going down and sharing it around, so it’s obviously not just one or two people,” Gray said. “There is a community of caregivers out there who are doing a great job.”

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