The Prime Minister visited Nelson on Monday to survey the damage from last week's floods and hear from residents whose homes and lives have been devastated by the deluge.
At least nine properties have been red-stickered and are now unliveable, but hundreds more are still waiting for assessment.
A state of emergency for Nelson Tasman has been extended to Wednesday 31 August.
Jacinda Ardern walked some of the flood-hit streets of Nelson this morning, to see first-hand the devastation after more than 270 millimetres of rain fell in just four days last week.
She spoke to emergency responders and residents around Nile Street, Cleveland Terrace and Atmore Terrace areas about what they had faced.
Jo Rowland said when she received the call to flee it was already too late.
"We had to evacuate from up over the hill," she told the prime minister.
"We we were on the other side and we got stuck and we couldn't get through so we couldn't across the bridge.
"We had to wait, luckily there were some diggers that came through, but we had to walk out in the rain with two little children and some suitcases with us, so it was quite frightening."
Mark Sheehan looking over his Nile Street property in Nelson. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns
Ardern said the scale of the deluge demonstrated what residents faced.
"Being able to see the height of the water that reached these properties, it would've been very scary for everyone."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with Nile Street resident Evan Barnes. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns
More than 500 homes have been evacuated due to flooding and slip damage, and many still remained vacant.
Roads around the area, including State Highway 6, the main arterial route from Nelson to Blenheim, and State Highway 63 remain closed due to damage.
Jacinda Ardern has spent the day surveying the damage from last week's floods and hearing from residents affected by the deluge. From left Christine Hafermatz-Wheeler, Robert, Jacinda Ardern, Amara, and David Wheeler. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns
Ardern said her heart goes out to those affected by the floods, though their resilience is apparent.
"Whether it's one or whether it's 500, that's someone's home and that will have a huge impact on them," she said.
"I am always amazed in the repeated events I've seen across New Zealand that same spirit of supporting each other and getting through.
"I just wish I didn't see it so often."
Jacinda Ardern speaking to David Wheeler. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns
For some residents of the ravaged Nile Street area, the PM's visit provided a much needed pick me up.
Maggie Gray who was evacuated twice over the past week commended the Prime Minister for her visit.
Also on Nile Street, Theresa Bygate said it was nice the the Prime Minister was in Nelson.
But she said small things the community were doing makes all the difference.
"Just for some people how they react, to just take them away and have a quiet area for cups of tea for the people that are affected," she said.
The Prime Minister said having seen the extensive damage around residential and knowing there is equally extensive damage in rural areas, it's clear the mayoral relief fund will need additional money added to it.
Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty travelled to Marlborough today to talk to the mayor about the needs there.
