Waka Kotahi says travel to and from the Coromandel should be possible by this morning, with the region having been cut off for days. Dozens of roads have been damaged by slips and flooding across the motu. In Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay, wrecked roads - including several bridges - have trapped entire communities, though State Highway 51 between Napier and Hastings was reopened late last night after contractors cleared debris. Waka Kotahi National Emergency Response Team spokesperson Mark Owen joins Kathryn for the latest.

Cyclone Gabrielle: RNZ Reporter Lauren Crimp reports live from Hawkes Bay region .

Late yesterday the Kaipara District Council warned residents who live along River Road, and Victoria and Logan Streets, as well as side streets and Finlayson Park Avenue to leave there homes, as high tide loomed. Some arrived at one of Dargaville's evacuation centres - the Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Reverend Frank Nelson says people are welcome in, even if they just need some company.

Civil Defence is providing a briefing this morning on the situation throughout Hawke's Bay. Defence controller Iain MacDonald says it's been an extremely trying few days for the local community. He says the hospital is open to critical care but all elective surgery has been cancelled. He says widespread and significant damage to the region's roads - priorities are access to the Whirinaki township (north of Napier) and SH50, the Expressway. Waka Kotahi has told Civil Defence the Expressway is expected to open in the next 24 hours. Wairoa township has adequate food supply and more is coming from Gisborne in the next 12 to 24 hours. Mr MacDonald says the wastewater treatment plant in Hastings is operating but Napier's remains compromised. He urges people to continue conserving water where possible. Mr MacDonald says due to the flooding of the Redclyffe substation, much of the region remains without power, with only about 90,000 homes and businesses currently connected to power. He says Transpower and Unison are making good progress on working out how to bypass the substation. But it's likely to be up to a week before Hawkes Bay is fully connected again.

Some dairy farmers have no power and can't milk their cows, others can't get tankers to their properties due to damage to the road network. Sarah Speight is Dairy NZX farm performance general manager.

We go back to Hawkes Bay and the impact and potential longer term effects of this disaster on farmers. Kathryn is joined by the President of Hawkes Bay Federated Farmers Jim Galloway - who's out and about on his farm at Raukawa, west of Hastings.

Some Napier households are being warned power will be out for at least another two weeks. Of about 40-thousand homes without power across Hawke's Bay, almost 32,000 of those are in and around Napier. The regional council says emergency power has been provided for the Wellesley Road Medical Centre, Countdown supermarket and Caltex Napier. Transpower says it is working to route more power through its Whakatu substation northeast of Hastings, and will have an update on that later today Lines company Unison says it had limited access to the national grid and to parts of its own network. Danny Gough from Unison Network joins Kathryn for an update.

Now for an update from Te Whatu Ora on how hospitals in in Tairawhiti and Hawkes Bay are coping. Despite power outages and internet problems, they are operating. Hawkes Bay Hospital remains open for urgent cases, but elective surgery is cancelled. There's a week of fuel left for generators supporting Gisborne Hospital. The interim national medical director for Te Whatu Ora, Dr Pete Watson.

Metservice has issued a Severe thunderstorm watch for Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay. Metservice forecaster Lisa Murray joins Kathryn for an update.

Now to look at food supplies - amid widespread farm and crop devastation - and the impact on what we'll be able to buy in food stores. Raewyn Bleakley is the CEO of the NZ Food and Grocery Council.