Cyclone Gabrielle leaves 4 dead in New Zealand, 'grave concerns' about several more missing
Cyclone Gabrielle has brought days of torrential rain and ferocious wind to New Zealand's North Island. Dozens have been rescued from rooftops amid rising floodwaters that have reached as high as a second story. Rescue crews are scrambling to look for several who remain missing for whom they have "grave concerns."
Four dead, thousands missing in New Zealand following Cyclone Gabrielle
At least four people have died in New Zealand in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, local reports citing police said on Wednesday, February 15. Police said a further 1,400 people were
AUCKLAND, New Zealand – At least four people have died, including a child and a firefighter, in New Zealand as the island nation continues to deal with destructive impacts from Cyclone Gabrielle.
The cyclone has brought days of torrential rain and ferocious wind to New Zealand's North Island. Dozens have been rescued from rooftops amid rising floodwaters that have reached as high as a second story, while roads have been washed out and communication lines severed.
Between 6 and 12 inches of rain fell across the North Island as winds gusted to 55 to 80 mph along the mainland and 80 to 100 mph on some of the more exposed islands. Channel Island recorded a gust of 101 mph.
An aerial photo taken on Feb. 14, 2023, shows flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in Awatoto, New Zealand, near the city of Napier. (STR / AFP / Getty Images)
According to New Zealand police, more than 1,400 people have been reported as "uncontactable" so far, especially on the North Island, which took the brunt of the storm. Police said they expect that number to vastly decrease once communication lines are restored and duplicate names are removed but fear there are still many missing people.
"While we expect a large number of the reports to be the result of communication lines being down, Police can confirm there are several people missing in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti areas, for whom we have grave concerns," New Zealand Police said Wednesday.
A child was found dead after being washed away amid rising waters in Hawke's Bay, police said. Their age has not been given.
Bridge collapses north of Gisborne following deadly Cyclone Gabrielle
Images from Labour MP Kiri Allan show a damaged Hikuwai Bridge north of Gisborne on Wednesday.
In Muriwai, a volunteer firefighter died after he and another colleague were struck by a mudslide that crashed into two homes where they were responding to a call for flooding help on Tuesday. The surviving firefighter was trapped but eventually freed and taken to a local hospital, but the second firefighter's body was found buried in the rubble.
A woman was found dead in a separate mudslide near her rural home, while a fourth body was found washed ashore amid flooding in Napier, police said.
Cyclone Gabrielle an ‘unprecedented weather event’
New Zealand's Royal Air Force rescued 23 people and five dogs trapped on the rooftops of flooded homes in Hastings, with another 50 to 60 residents needing help evacuating.
A person is rescued from a rooftop of a flooded home in Hastings, New Zealand, during heavy rain from Cyclone Gabrielle. (New Zealand Defence Force / FOX Weather)
So far, more than 10,500 people have been evacuated from their homes, and some 160,000 in the region remain without power, according to the New Zealand Herald.
"This is an unprecedented weather event that is having major impacts across much of the North Island," said Kieran McAnulty, New Zealand's Minister for Emergency Management.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins declared a national state of emergency Tuesday – just the third in the nation's history.
"That means we’ll be throwing everything at this to make sure that we provide as much support to the response as possible," Hipkins said in a news conference Tuesday.
NEW ZEALAND DECLARES NATIONAL EMERGENCY IN WAKE OF HISTORIC CYCLONE GABRIELLE
But travel was difficult as parts of the North Island were severed from the rest of the nation, especially the Tairawhiti area, which was hit particularly hard. All roads leading into the region were closed due to flooding or damage Tuesday, and internet and cell phone service were down after fiber-optic cables were damaged by the cyclone, according to Tairawhiti Civil Defense.
"It’s wild out there! Tairāwhiti is taking a pounding," the Tairawhiti Civil Defence Emergency agency said. "It's extremely hazardous everywhere!"
Drone video shows New Zealand flooded following Cyclone Gabrielle
Drone video shows parts of New Zealand flooded and damaged following Cyclone Gabrielle.
Three main rivers in the Tairawhiti area have reached record levels. The Te Arai river reached about 15 feet – its highest level since records began in 1983, breaking the previous record crest by about 4.5 feet.
WATCH: RAIN-SOAKED ED SHEERAN PERFORMS AS TROPICAL CYCLONE GABRIELLE BATTERS NEW ZEALAND
Auckland already has half its annual rainfall average
Cyclone Gabrielle, similar in structure to hurricanes and tropical storms that strike the U.S., approached New Zealand's North Coast on Monday with the powerful center of the storm coming within a few miles of land on Tuesday.
5 DIFFERENT NAMES FOR HURRICANES AROUND THE WORLD
The storm center never made landfall and instead drifted to the southeast but was close enough to batter the island with powerful winds and torrential rain from the storm's feeder bands.
For Auckland, it's the second bout of heavy rain and flooding in the last few weeks.
MAJOR FLOODING SWAMPS NEW ZEALAND AFTER SUMMER'S WORTH OF RAIN FALLS IN 15 HOURS
The New Zealand MetService said Auckland has already received over 21 inches of rain this year, about half its expected annual rainfall. Gabrielle brought about 5 to 6 inches in just 12 hours.
Gabrielle continued to slowly move away from New Zealand Thursday morning. However, forecasters warned lingering heavy rain and blustery winds would still batter the region Thursday as outer bands of the storm continued to swipe the island. Drier weather was expected Friday.
To top off the week, the area near Gisborne also experienced a magnitude 4.4 earthquake centered not far from town, but no damage or injuries were reported. A magnitude 5.7 quake also hit the Cook Strait on Tuesday with no significant impacts.