Four people have been confirmed dead and thousands have been displaced in New Zealand after Cyclone Gabrielle brought widespread flooding and landslides to the northern part of the country.
Rescue helicopters there had rescued about 300 people stranded on rooftops.
Flooding and landslides accompanied by strong winds resulted in power outages in tens of thousands of homes. Several individuals were reported stranding on rooftops, waiting for a rescue.
Meanwhile, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake was widely felt across the country late on Wednesday.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called Gabrielle the biggest weather event to hit the country in the past century. It’s estimated to affect at least a third of the country’s five million population.
The calamity hit the area just two weeks after record rainstorms and flooding in the region in which four people died.
Confirmed Deaths
Government officials have confirmed at least four deaths, including a young child, due to the cyclone’s devastations.
- A young person’s body was discovered in Eskdale, Hawke’s Bay, at around 2 pm today. It is believed that the child was caught in the rising water during the cyclone yesterday. The child’s age was not disclosed by the police.
- A volunteer firefighter’s body was recovered from a landslide in Muriwai this afternoon.
- A woman lost her life in a landslip on a rural property in Matahorua Rd, Putorino, yesterday
- A body was found on the shore in Bay View, Napier, last night
Meanwhile, a man assisting helicopter crews in rescuing individuals from rooftops in Hawke’s Bay, suspected that the death toll could be higher than reported as he had seen bodies floating in the water.
Missing Persons
The police have classified hundreds of people missing and expressed serious concerns for their safety.
- According to the police reports, 1442 people had been registered as uncontactable through the 105 online reporting
- The authorities anticipate this number to increase significantly, they fear for those still missing in the areas of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne
Nationwide Emergency
The storm left hundreds of thousands without power, led to the cancelation of flights, and damaged roads, homes, and infrastructure.
New Zealand officials declared a national state of emergency on Tuesday morning after a night of extreme weather which left towns cut off across the North Island.
Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty said the declaration would initially apply to the six regions including, Aukland, Northland, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, and Waikato. Later, the Tararua District was also included in the emergency declared areas, shortly after McAnulty declared a national emergency.
Defense Force continues rescue efforts
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said on February 15 that it continues to increase its support to rescue people. Currently, NZDF has more than 700 personnel and at least for aircraft, seven helicopters, two ships and 58 trucks involved in relief efforts.
Areas cut off entirely
The storm cut off the East Coast and Gisborne completely, washing away farms, bridges, and livestock. Power, road, rail, cellphone, and Internet connections were cut to Gisborne, hampering emergency responses to the city.
Power outage
In Hawke’s Bay, all of Napier and Hastings were without power on Tuesday morning told Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise. While electricity supply was restored for around 80,000 households later on Wednesday, over 140,000 individuals throughout the island were still experiencing power outages.