State of Emergency for Northern New Zealand as Cyclone Gabrielle Roars Through

Written by Team Morecast

 

For just the third time in the nation’s history, New Zealand has declared a national state of emergency after Cyclone Gabrielle rolled across the north. The worst cyclone in a generation has swept roads and bridges away, cutting off whole communities and swallowing homes and businesses. Three fatalities have been reported so far, but more are missing and thousands have been forced out of their homes and communities.

 

 

Gabrielle began to approach northern New Zealand over the weekend. Unfortunately, the storm slowed to a crawl as it entered the Bay of Plenty. Prolonged high winds gusting up to 150 kph (93 mph) knocked down trees and powerlines and took roofs off of some houses. At one point 250,000 residents reported being without power. Considering the massive damage to infrastructure, it will probably be days or weeks before power is restored to all residents.

 

 

 

Bands of torrential rain pounded the northern islands for at least 48 hours. Numerous stations reported rainfall exceeding 400 mm (15.7 in) (including 488 mm, or 19.2 inches, at Hikuwai).  As a result, numerous rivers have burst their banks, setting new record levels and inundating whole towns. Some residents reported having to flee to their rooftops to escape the flooding. Several major bridges have been destroyed, severely restricting rescue and recovery efforts to isolated communities. This cyclone strike comes only two weeks after crippling rain and flooding across much the same region.

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