Death toll rises in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, cut-off regions wake up to another day of isolation and 6.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Wellington in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald
Aerial photos of the damage wrought on isolated Gisborne communities by Cyclone Gabrielle show the widespread impact flooding has had on the North Island’s east coast.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins today took to the air to surveytragic scenes of flooded roads and paddocks after earlier saying it was a “lonely and isolating” time for people cut off by the cyclone’s aftermath.
Incredible images showing roads-turned-rivers reveal the destruction the cyclone has inflicted on the region previously hard-hit by extreme weather in the past year.
Hundreds of eastern region residents have been rescued from rooftops and waters since floods inundated the region, cutting off roads and bridges, isolating communities.
Cyclone Gabrielle
General flooding across the Gisborne Tarawhiti region
New Zealand Herald photograph by George Heard 16 February 2023
Entire regions have been isolated with zero contact, people still remain uncontactable. Essentials like water, food and fuel are in short supply in many places.
Energy Minister Megan Woods said there were still 60,000 households in Hawke’s Bay without power, but recent access to the flooded Redcliffe substation could help that.
Police earlier said they were investigating the death of a person in Gisborne who they believed was caught in floodwaters - with “grave” fears the death toll will rise.
On Wednesday, police deployed 12 search and rescue specialist staff to assist with recovery efforts in the district.
The additional staff would support recovery efforts and provide community reassurance
“Communications into and out of the area continue to be challenging, however, as telecommunication services start to come back online, police anticipate an increase in the number of reports of missing people, found people, damage to property, and demand for basic resources such as food, water, and fuel.”
Flooding in the Gisborne-Tarawhiti region. Photo / George Heard
Speaking from Gisborne, Prime Minister Hipkins said restoring infrastructure was a “very big challenge” and the strain and stress could go on for some time.
There was no instant fix, he said.
It was “almost certainly” time to rethink parts of the road network, he said.
“We have to get real about some of the roads and the fact we are going to have to move some of the roads to where they are more resilient.”
Hipkins said his heart went out to families doing it tough.
“I can only imagine how I would feel in those circumstances with my own family. It has been an extraordinary weather event and we will absolutely be focused on doing everything we can to support them.”
The main thing that stood out to him in the response so far was how much New Zealanders were doing to support each other through some of the “biggest challenges some of them will have ever faced in their lives”.
