Recovery efforts continue in hard-hit areas of New Zealand on Friday after Cyclone Gabrielle caused chaos, leaving at least seven people dead and displacing 10,000 people in the country’s most damaging storm in decades.

The cyclone, which hit New Zealand on Sunday before making its way down the east coast of the North Island, cut off entire towns, washed away farms, bridges and livestock, and inundated homes, stranding people on rooftops.

The death toll is now at seven after a second volunteer firefighter, Mr Craig Stevens, died in hospital after being caught in a landslide near Auckland earlier in the week, and a body was found near Napier.

The authorities are warning that the country needs to prepare for the death toll to rise.

Communication with and access to a number of areas remain difficult, and surveillance flights are being undertaken to survey the damage and identify those who may be isolated. Convoys of trucks carrying essential items such as food, water, medicine and fuel are making their way into remote areas, and the defence force is using ships to transport needed items to areas of the east coast.

Minister for Regional Development Kiri Allan, who also lives in one of the most badly affected areas, told 1News that supermarkets were now better stocked, supplies had been reaching some of the most isolated communities, and even the phone network was returning in small areas.

“Huge infrastructure challenges are ahead of us. Once we get through this immediate response we will get a great toll in terms of the cost and what we need to do,” she said.

In Hawke’s Bay, helicopters and boats were still going out to check on people in isolated communities while search and rescue teams were continuing to operate.

The weather has started to improve. Meteorological service MetService said it no longer has any weather warnings in place in New Zealand, and sunshine was forecast for most of the North Island.

Source: The Straits Times

BDST: 1115 HRS, FEB 17, 2023
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