Emotions running high as the Coroner hears evidence about the death of a teenager killed by a landslide hitting his house at Ohope's West End.

1XX News reporter has been in the Whakatane courthouse, where she says many tears have been shed.

Evidence at the Coroner's Inquest into the death of Hughie Biddle has alleged if evacuations had been ordered, his death could have been avoided.

Then Senior Sergeant Bruce Jenkins' report into the incident has been read, highlighting what rescue teams were confronted with on June 18, 2011.

GNS Scientist, David Betham has also given evidence, concluding steep old cliff-faces with mature pohutukawa trees can cause these disasters.

Mr Biddle's partner's grandfather, John Sim has also spoken about the heavy rainfall on that particular day.

He says he'd hoped people were being evacuated from under the cliff at West End, because of the severity of the storm.

Tragically, that didn't happen.