Mallika Dureja
Cyclone Gabrielle is causing widespread flooding, landslides, and big waves in the ocean across the North Island. This is only the third time in New Zealand’s history that the government has declared a National State of Emergency.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the minister for emergency management, Kieran McAnulty, said that this cyclone had caused a lot of damage and that a National declaration was needed to help those who were hurt.
“This is a weather event that has never happened before, and it is having big effects on a lot of the North Island,” McAnulty said.
Also read: Facts About Indian American Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley
Only twice before has a National State of Emergency been declared: after the 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch in 2011 and at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gabrielle was sitting over some small islands 100 km northeast of Auckland, but she was now moving southwest. MetService, a weather service, said that Auckland had seen the worst of the rain, but that it would start to get worse further south.
The cyclone brought heavy rain, flooding, and strong winds to the North Island. Many beach settlements had to be evacuated because of this. All over the North Island, places for people to go have been set up. Many people don’t have power, roads are shut down, and some towns are completely cut off.
Local news outlets have pictures of people sitting on top of buildings in floodwaters, houses at the bottom of hills after landslides, and roads that are underwater.
New Zealand fire and emergency services have confirmed that a volunteer firefighter is still inside a house that slid down a hill in a beach town near Auckland. A second firefighter was found and taken to the hospital, where he is in critical condition.
A New Zealand navy ship is on its way to a yacht off the east coast of the country that turned on its emergency beacon this morning.
Rachel Kelleher, Deputy Controller of Auckland Emergency Management, said on Tuesday that this has been and will continue to be a serious and important event for our area. “Stay informed and look out for each other,” she said.
