New Zealand declared national emergency for the third time in its history on Tuesday after a powerful tornado tore through parts of the country, knocking out power to nearly a quarter of a million residents, leaving many stranded on rooftops and swept away. at least one sailor out to sea.
Cyclone Gabrielle devastated most of the North Island, the northern part of the country, including the most populous city, Auckland, based on National Emergency Management Agency. Military officials say that at least 200 members of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force participated in the response.
Chris Hipkins, New Zealand’s prime minister, said: “Hurricane Gabrielle is the most significant weather event New Zealand has seen this century. Press Conference. “The severity and scale of the damage we’re seeing hasn’t happened in a generation.”
Officials said the storm covered the North Island with heavy rain, high winds and very large waves before moving out to sea. MetService, the national weather agency, said that gusts of more than 90 mph had blown parts of the island and that some exposed areas reported gusts of more than 105 mph.
According to the MetService, nearly 16 inches of rain fell in parts of the North Island, and nearly eight inches in Auckland.
Mr. Hipkins said that while the full picture of the damage was still unclear, “what we do know is that the impact is huge and widespread.” Officials report that at least one person has died, a woman whose house is crushed by a landslide in the village of Putorino.
Authorities said one firefighter was missing and another was seriously injured during rescue operations.
Mr. Hipkins said the storm cut power to about 225,000 customers on the North Island and utility companies have reported that they have not seen the grid suffer such damage since. Typhoon Bola in 1988. Mr. Hipkins said that teams were working to repair the damage, which had also disrupted cell phone communications.
Roads across the North Island have been flooded, he said, and delays in travel at airports are expected. Officials said heavily flooded roads have made it difficult to replenish dwindling food and water supplies in some areas.
Officials said the national emergency applies to areas that have previously declared a local emergency: Northland, Auckland, Tairawhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and Tararua District.
New Zealand’s two previous states of emergency were declared in 2020, near the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemicand next year 2011 an earthquake hits Christchurchits second largest city, killing 185 people.
Roger Ball, acting director of civil defense emergency management, said the declaration would empower officials to direct resources to flooded areas and would reassure the public that “there will be no which force is ignored”.
Military officials said they had deployed helicopters to rescue people from rooftops in Napier, a coastal city on the North Island.
The navy of this country said that it also conducted a rescue operation in heavy storm conditions to save a sailor who was swept out to sea on a catamaran. Officials said the sailor wearing life jackets was pulled out of the ocean by two Navy divers in an inflatable boat.
Military officials said they also relocated 60 to 100 people from Hastings, an inland city on the North Island, while clearing fallen trees, delivering medical supplies and responding to an emergency call to evacuate residents after a river burst its banks.
The storm is expected to leave the North Island on Wednesday, weakening en route. MetService said heavy rain would still flood parts of central New Zealand through Thursday.
