Hawke’s Bay residents may be without electricity for days or even weeks, Transpower has warned.

Transpower has declared a “grid emergency” after Cyclone Gabrielle caused the loss of power to Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.

“The outage is a result of flooding to the Redclyffe substation following extreme weather from Cyclone Gabrielle. The Unison and Eastland networks that distribute electricity to the region are currently down as a result,” the company said in a statement.

“Due to the current situation, we are not able to receive comms from Redclyffe substation, but it is likely it is underwater. We cannot currently access the site but have a helicopter on standby for further investigation when possible.

“Apologies to all who are affected. Unfortunately, until we are able to gain access to the substation, we will not have a clear picture of how long the region will be without power. However, we are advising that the community should be prepared to be without power for days to weeks, rather than hours.

Residents of multiple Napier suburbs have been told to “evacuate immediately” and “go immediately to your nearest hill” as flooding in Hawke’s Bay continues to worsen.

Residents should take grab bags and animals and escape flood zones right now, Civil Defence have warned as the crisis in the Hawke’s Bay reaches breaking point.

Emergency crews are rushing to get to people stranded on roofs in Hawke’s Bay - including dozens of orchard workers caught up in the heavy flooding.

But many are questioning how to evacuate to safety with multiple bridges closed across the region. Residents are also taking to social media to ask about rescue efforts in affected areas, saying they have been unable to contact loved ones in flood zones for hours.

Others say they didn’t receive an emergency alert on their phones - or received them too late.

A State of Emergency has been extended to the entirety of the Hawke’s Bay region as evacuations take place in every district and city due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence has called for Waiohiki, Omahu, Taradale, Jervoistown and Meeanee (south and east of Anderson Park) residents to immediately evacuate the area.

Residents in the lower Waipawa area are also being evacuated as a precaution due to the increasing levels of the Waipawa River.

Not only has the region been hit with heavy flooding, but power, phone coverage, and internet are down or patchy in most areas.

Transpower NZ have lost supply of electricity which has affected all of Napier and some of Hastings this morning.

Transpower has warned of extended power outages in Hawke’s Bay, saying the outage can be expected to last until at least 6pm. Redclyffe, Whakatu, Tuai, Fernhill are impacted.

Many locals are also without cellphone coverage or mobile data due to damaged lines.

Chorus said two fibre lines are damaged in the eastern part of the North Island - the Taupo to Napier line and one running across the north of the region. This is affecting mobile coverage in the Hawke’s Bay region for all providers on top of the power situation, said Telecommunications Forum spokesman Paul Brislen.

“Teams are working to locate the fault or faults on the line but this work is hampered both by the weather and by access to the lines. Staff safety is of paramount concern in such situations so the teams will be proceeding carefully.

Homes are underwater near the Esk River Bridge. Photo / Supplied

“Customers are advised to keep their mobile devices charged if possible and minimise their use for non-essential communications. Calls to 111 are prioritised across the mobile networks so if you have coverage, even from another provider, you should be able to make an emergency call.”

Posts on social media shows some areas have been hit so hard by flooding that water has reached the roof lines of a number of buildings.

One video shows orchard workers perched on the roofs of the buildings with the water mere centimetres below.

The orchard is on the banks of the Tutaekuri River in Hawke’s Bay.

Workers at a farm near Hastings take shelter from floodwaters on the roofs of the farm buildings amidst Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Supplied

Meanwhile a part of the Puketapu Bridge has been washed away by floodwaters, while the most affected area appears to be the Esk Valley, where homes are underwater. All residents of Rissington were evacuated overnight.

Clifton is cut off, with river banks burst and manhole covers erupting with wastewater.

A dramatic video posted to Facebook shows the one-way Brookfields Bridge washing away as it becomes overwhelmed by floodwaters.

River levels across the region are very high and people should stay away from them, Civil Defence has warned. Heavy rain has filled the Mangarau detention dam in Havelock North, with the excess flowing into the Mangarau Stream.

Residents will notice higher flows than usual in the stream and are being asked to stay away from it. The Waiohiki Bridge is closed and the Tutaekuri River is breaching its stop banks; residents are being asked to stay away from it.

People were seen walking out of floodwaters on Links Rd, between Napier and Hastings in Hawke’s Bay, where a torrent of water caught several people by surprise.

Rescues at Links Rd, between Napier and Hastings in Hawke's Bay, where a torrent of water has caught several people by surprise. Photo / Paul Taylor

The Puketapu Bridge has been washed away by floodwaters. Photo / HBCDEM

Damage to the Esk River Bridge on State Highway 2 north of Bay View (which was put under speed restrictions in 2022 due to its age and condition) and the Puketapu Bridge has made both impassable.

A tree down on State Highway 2 near Bay View on Monday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Waka Kotahi said in its latest traffic bulletin that SH2 Napier to Gisborne and SH5 Napier to Taupō remained closed due to large amounts of surface flooding, slips and debris and possible flooding.

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the most important thing was to keep the community safe.

“There are areas of Napier and Hastings that have been impacted worse than others and this declaration will enable councils and emergency services to act swiftly,” Wise said.

Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said residents must heed police and Civil Defence messaging. “The most important thing is that we all stay safe. If you’re able, shelter in place, if there is danger call 111 immediately.”

Esk Valley is underwater this morning. Photo / Adrian Dorman

A Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesperson said the key message was to stay home and conserve water.

”Stay safe, stay home and stay off the roads, and limit water use.”

Meanwhile, a worker responding to the emergency, who did not want to be named, said he ended up in waist-deep floodwaters on SH51 at Awatoto on Tuesday morning about 4.30am.

”In a moment the car was fully submerged and I had to abandon it.”

He was helped by other motorists.

Flooding on State Highway Two south of Waipawa. Photo / Supplied