In late June 2024, torrential rain led to flooding in the North Island's East Coast regions of Hawke's Bay and the Gisborne District.
[2] In response, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced that the New Zealand Government would contribute $300,000 to mayoral relief funds in Hastings, Wairoa and the Gisborne District.
In 2023, the New Zealand Government passed the short-term Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Act 2023 (SWERLA) to speed up flood protection works in the regions.
Areas affected by flooding during Cyclone Gabrielle included Wairoa, Whirinaki, Waiohiki, Ohiti Road/Omāhu, Pākōwhai, Havelock North, Pōrangahau and Awatoto.
In addition, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) issued heavy rain warnings for Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.
[7] Mayor of Wairoa Craig Little estimated that about 200 mm of rain had fallen over a 24-hour period in some parts of the East Coast, exceeding meteorological forecasts.
[8] Despite the overnight rain, Waka Kotahi confirmed that the state highways connecting Napier, Wairoa and Gisborne had remained opened on 26 June.
[9] The 2024 East Coast flooding complicated a housing crisis in Wairoa's North Clyde area, where 200 homes had been rendered unlivable following Cyclone Gabrielle.
Psychologist Amber Logan said that people who had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder following Cyclone Gabrielle would be re-traumatised by the 2024 East Coast floods.
[9] On 28 June, a team of volunteers from disaster relief charity Taskforce Kiwi arrived in Wairoa to assist with recovery efforts including delivering firewood.
[4] On 2 July, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced plans to visit Wairoa and invest money in assisting flood recovery efforts.
[16] On 3 July, the New Zealand Government confirmed it would launch an urgent review into Wairoa's flood response and whether local councils could have acted to prevent thousands losing power and the evacuation of hundreds of homes.
[17] On 12 July, The New Zealand Herald reported that the Government's urgent review would cover the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's management of the Wairoa river bar following "significant" concerns raised by the local community.
The report concluded that the Hawke's Bay Regional Council lacked a proper plan for managing the river mouth and failed to listen to local concerns prior to the heavy rain forecast in late June.