New Zealand declared a national emergency on Tuesday for the third time in its history. Cyclone Gabrielle triggered widespread flooding, landslides and huge tidal waves. “It’s been a bad night for New Zealanders across the country, but especially in the upper part of the North Island…many families have been displaced, many homes are without power, there has been major damage across the country,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Tuesday .
It is still too early to say how many people have been displaced or injured. No deaths have been confirmed. Authorities have evacuated coastal areas and continue to urge people to evacuate their homes as more flooding threatens. Many roads have been flooded or washed away, cell phone networks have been disrupted and some cities have been cut off from the outside world.
Cyclone Gabrielle is currently around 100 kilometers east of Auckland and the cyclone is expected to continue in an east-southeast direction parallel to the coast. New Zealand last declared a national emergency because of an earthquake in 2011 and during the corona pandemic in 2020.
“Disaster of Significant Scale”
The state of emergency allows emergency response to be coordinated nationally and ensures resources can get to where they are needed promptly, Emergency Management Secretary Kieran McAnulty told a news conference in Wellington. “This is a major disaster that poses a real threat to the lives of New Zealanders,” he said.
At the time of the press conference, a search was underway for a firefighter who was missing after a sudden landslide in Muriwai, on Auckland’s west coast, after storms and rain swept the area. More than 265 millimeters of rain were measured there within 12 hours. The firefighter was one of two trapped in Muriwai after the flood caused several landslides. The other firefighter was rescued with life-threatening injuries.
A river north of Auckland has burst its banks while winds threatened to bring down a tower in the city and also forced local residents to evacuate their homes. Auckland now has a respite as “Gabrielle” rolls by. Auckland airport is expected to reopen on Tuesday and airline Air New Zealand should resume international and domestic flights through its busiest hub. However, a strong wind warning remains in place.