New Delhi: Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread flooding, landslides, and huge ocean swells as it left a trail of destruction in New Zealand. This has happened only for the third time in its history. The cyclone has forced people to evacuate and some people are left stranded on rooftops.
In the photographs and video published by the local media, people can be seen sitting on top of buildings surrounded by flood water, of houses swept to the bottom of hills by landslides, and of roads under water, as reported by Reuters.
"It has been a big night for New Zealanders across the country, but particularly in the upper North Island ... a lot of families displaced, a lot of homes without power, extensive damage done across the country," New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters after the declaration, as quoted by Reuters.
According to Reuters, authorities have managed to evacuate beach settlements and are asking people to leave their homes as rivers continue to swell. Roads are closed, mobile phone services are down and some towns are cut off.
Minister of emergency management, Kieran McAnulty said that while New Zealand was now through the worst of the storm, more rain and high winds were expected, Reuters reported. He further said that New Zealand suffered from extensive flooding, landslides, and road damage.
Amid the cyclone, weather forecaster said that severe weather would extend to the upper South Island as the cyclone moved, Reuters reported. According to Reuters, the people in New Zealand's largest city Auckland were told to be ready for more heavy rain, flooding and gale-force winds. Some homes in the city were evacuated.
PM Hipkins said it was too early to say how many people had been displaced or injured. No deaths have been reported so far. Cyclone Gabrielle is 100 Km east of Auckland, near the east coast of the country’s North Island. It is expected to move east-southeast. The declaration will apply to the six regions that have already declared a local State of Emergency: Northland, Auckland, Tairawhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Hawkes Bay, read the New Zealand Government press release, as reported by ANI.
The national fire and emergency service said, a volunteer firefighter was inside a house that had slid down a hill in a beachside town, Reuters reported. Another was rescued and was in critical condition in a hospital, it said. A New Zealand navy warship was heading to a yacht that turned on its emergency beacon in the morning off the east coast.
Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported that many schools and local government facilities across Auckland and the upper North Island were closed and people were requested to avoid travel if possible. Air New Zealand had cancelled 509 flights on Monday and said flights will resume on Tuesday if the weather improved.