Thousands have been urged to “evacuate immediately” as Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle continues to wreak widespread devastation across New Zealand.
Much of the North Island is under a declaration of emergency, with a national emergency being declared for only the third time in the country’s history.
About 225,000 Kiwis were without power on Tuesday after a massive storm caused significant chaos, cutting communities and leaving an enormous trail of destruction in what was described by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins as the country’s worst weather event this century.
And the wild weather is far from over, with the South Island now also in the line of fire.
The national emergency currently applies to six regions including Northland, Auckland, Tairāwhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Hawke’s Bay.
Entire streets have been washed away and dozens of homes have collapsed in landslides, while tens of thousands of Kiwis could be left without power for at least a week.
An aerial photo taken on February 14 shows flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in Awatoto, near the city of Napier
A helicopter operated by HMNZS Te Mana on Tuesday located a yacht in distress in the Hauraki Gulf off New Zealand’s North Island with a single-sailor on board
This handout photo, taken and released by the New Zealand Defense Force on February 14, 2023, shows the rescue of a sailor from a catamaran near the Northland town of Whangarei
The Waiohiki Bridge on the Tutaekuri River is washed away February 14 in Napier, New Zealand, flooding homes
The boat was the only way to get through the flooded streets of Napier. Pictured are surf lifeguards searching for residents stranded by the flood waters
In flood-stricken Napier, residents have been ordered to evacuate to higher ground “immediately” before the floods worsened after the second wettest February day on record.
The warning came too late for many residents as surf lifeguards spent the day paddling through flooded streets to check on stranded locals.
Residents in central Whangārei were also forced to flee as a landslide threatened their homes after the city’s wettest February day.
Helicopter and boat crews were deployed to rescue residents stranded on rooftops in Hawke’s Bay trapped by rapidly rising tides.
Transpower has warned it could take “days and weeks” to restore power to parts of the region.
In Muriwai, a coastal town west of Auckland, a volunteer firefighter and local veterinarian are missing while another is in critical condition after a house collapsed under a landslide.
The missing firefighter was investigating a flooded house in Muriwai when a landslide destroyed the house and hit a fire engine.
Fire and Emergency NZ CEO Kerry Gregory said the property was too unsafe to search.
“Our thoughts are with our firefighters and their families. We also support the other members of their brigade,” he told TVNZ.
Two boat owners who previously feared they were missing at sea near Great Barrier Island in Auckland after reports of a boat in distress have since been rescued.
While the worst of the wild weather for Auckland is over, all domestic and international flights to and from the airport are currently suspended due to the strong winds.
It’s Auckland’s second flood emergency in a few weeks as the city records 55 percent of its average annual rainfall in 45 days.
An aerial photo taken on February 14, 2023 shows flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in Awatoto, near the city of Napier
An aerial photo taken on February 14 shows flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in Awatoto, near the city of Napier
A local resident wades through a muddy street in Muriwai where a landslide is threatening homes
Cyclone Gabrielle cut off many towns and communities in the North Island, including Napier (pictured).
In Te Awanga, southeast of Auckland, water flowed from an access port to a storm drain
Much of the North Island is under a declaration of emergency, with a national emergency being declared for the third time in New Zealand’s history.
Cape Reinga, just to the north of Northland, has recorded 30 consecutive hours of gale force winds, according to MetService, New Zealand’s official weather forecaster.
Weather warnings remain in place for much of the east coast of the North Island and upper South Island.
“Inland portions of Fiordland, northern Southland and western portions of Central Otago, including Queenstown Lakes, may experience severe thunderstorms with localized downpours of 25-40 mm/hr,” according to a MetService alert.
Currently northeast of East Cape, Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to slowly move further southeast.
“Extremely strong winds, heavy rain and big waves have affected many regions. Severe weather warnings are still in effect.’
Some of the hardest-hit regions have been ordered to limit their water use.
“Muriwai, Helensville & Wellsford customers, please reduce your water use now. Please do not use your washing machine or dishwasher. Your local water treatment plants are being hit by power outages and your water supplies are running low,” warned Watercare NZ.
At least 2,500 families have been evicted from their homes, including 1,000 in the far north and 400 households in Auckland, according to New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins
He described Cyclone Gabrielle as the most severe weather event to hit New Zealand this century.
“It will be a week before we get a handle on exactly what happened,” Mr Hipkins told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
“I want to recognize those families that function without electricity and, in some cases, without communications.
“We will be working with the relevant authorities as soon as possible to ensure we restore power to ensure we restore communications as soon as possible.”
“We still have a bumpy time ahead of us,
The national emergency has forced the New Zealand government to postpone Parliament’s session until next week, delaying Mr Hipkins’ first Question Time as Prime Minister since Jacinda Ardern took office.
The Waiohiki Bridge in Napier was washed away by Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle
A large landslide collapsed several houses in Muriwai. It is currently unknown how many Kiwis were displaced by Cyclone Gabrielle
A destroyed house lies at the foot of a large landslide in Muriwai
Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked widespread havoc on New Zealand’s North Island with this overturned car through the storm
Emergency Management Secretary Kieran McAnulty declared a national emergency just before 9 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
It is only the third time in history that New Zealand has declared a national emergency, first in 2011 after the Christchurch earthquake and again during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is an unprecedented weather event that is having a major impact on much of the North Island,” McAnulty said.
“Local leadership, CDEM groups and emergency responders in all affected areas have done an excellent job, but the widespread damage caused by this cyclone means we need a national statement to support them.
“This statement will allow the government to provide support to affected regions, allocate additional resources where needed, and help set response priorities nationwide.
“A national state of emergency gives the national controller the legal authority to deploy resources across the country in support of a national-level response.
“This statement gives us the opportunity to coordinate further resources for affected regions. I would like to emphasize that the government has been providing support and resources to the regions for several days.’
At least 25,000 people have already received cyclone-related assistance, according to the prime minister.
Overnight, Gabrielle continued south before parking near Great Barrier Island in the north of the Coromandel Peninsula.
By 8 a.m. it had moved east into the Bay of Plenty north of Tauranga, but its massive size is whipping up destructive winds across the North Island.
Residents in Hastings, southeast of Auckland, have been evacuated amid rising tides
Napier residents survey the devastation caused by the flooded Tutaekuri River from a higher vantage point
Flood water surrounds the surf tower on Muriwai Beach after Cyclone Gabrielle left a massive trail of destruction in its wake
The massive cleanup began when the national emergency was declared
Emergency teams were swamped with nearly 900 storm-related calls in the 12 hours to 4 a.m. Tuesday.
MetService Manager Lisa Murray said some areas of the Coromandel, the region closest to the storm’s eye, have received 300 millimeters of rain during the storm to date.
“It’s really widespread in the North Island,” she told Radio NZ.
When asked which area she is most concerned about, Ms Murray replied: “There are so many areas”.
“There are many places in trouble.”
On the East Coast, similar numbers hit the Gisborne and Hawkes Bay regions, with rivers bursting their banks and forcing evacuations.
“I’ve been in the area for over 20 years and this is by far the biggest (storm)… people have never seen a storm like this. It is a very, very significant event,” Hawkes Bay Civil Defense spokesman Ian Maxwell told Radio NZ.
Kiwis have been warned to expect wilder weather on Tuesday as Cyclone Gabrielle continues to cause widespread chaos
Flooding on the surface as strong winds hit Auckland’s Tāmaki Drive early this morning as Cyclone Gabrielle made its way across the North Island. Video / Hayden Woodward pic.twitter.com/mTpt5o4vsC
— nzherald (@nzherald) February 12, 2023
Cyclone Gabrielle left a massive trail of devastation in Whangarei (pictured)
The Waka Kotahi Transportation Authority reports about 50 road closures, including State Highway 1 in several places and major arterial roads in the Coromandel and East Coast.
Cyclone Gabrielle will wreak further havoc on the North Island on Tuesday.
Red wind warnings with gusts of up to 140 km/h remain in effect for Auckland, Northland, Coromandel and Taranaki.
Red rain warnings have been extended in Northland, Coromandel and Hawke’s Bay.
Much of the North Island, including Wellington and Napier, is on orange wind warnings suggesting gusts of up to 120mph, as is the northern region of the South Island.
“Very strong gusts of wind will continue in the lower and western North Island until Tuesday, when Cyclone Gabrielle’s center passes through the Eastern Cape,” a NIWA weather alert said.
Kiwis felt the brunt of the wild conditions in Paihia (pictured)
Terrible conditions didn’t deter these surfers on Auckland’s Goat Island Marine Reserve