An aerial view shows extensive flooding in the Hawke's Bay region. Video / Photography by Corena
The first photos have emerged from the northern Hawke’s Bay town of Wairoa, cut off from the world after Cyclone Gabrielle devastated the region.
In an update shared on Tuesday night, Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence shared images showing the inundation of the town and revealed the challenges facing its embattled residents.
Word came out via the Starlink system, a standalone wi-fi connection that is only accessible to the Emergency Operations Centre. Civil Defence says the rest of the Wairoa District is still without access to mobile and wi-fi connections.
Aerial view of flooding in Wairoa. Photo / Hawke's Bay Civil Defence
Due to being completely cut off, Wairoa has only one day worth of food and enough drinking water for two days, Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence says.
Controller Liz Lambert says that with the loss of roads, they would be relying on supplies coming in by air.
“Wairoa only has one day’s worth of food, and enough drinking water for two days. We have made a request to NEMA for enough food and water to supply the district for seven days”, Lambert said in a statement.
Civil Defence says they are caring for those in their welfare centres after significant flooding from the Wairoa river that inundated up to a quarter of the town.
“We are managing but we are geographically isolated and facing severe challenges. These include food and water supply, fuel and communications,” the Civil Defence team in Wairoa said in a statement.
“We are working to ensure people’s safety and trying to provide the best services we can given our limitations.”
The floodwaters in Wairoa have left the town isolated. Photo / Hawke's Bay Civil Defence
The limited supplies of food and water in Wairoa are quickly running out - with the usual drinking water supply cut due to flooding - and hundreds of people have been evacuated.
All highways into Wairoa are closed because of slips and flooding.
Aerial view of flooding in Wairoa. Photo / Hawke's Bay Civil Defence
An RNZAF reconnaissance flight was to be sent to the northern Hawke’s Bay town, which has been cut off with little to no communication from the area since power, internet, and phone services went down. “Wairoa, particularly, is of concern,” Emergency Response Minister Kieran McAnulty earlier said about communication with the town.
One person has died after a landslip on her property in northern Hawke’s Bay and another person’s body has been found on a storm-ravaged beach as new images reveal the extent of destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle - and the sheer heroism of rescuers.
The Defence Force has released images of residents being plucked from their rooftops in Esk Valley, near Napier. Homes and properties were completely swamped in the area. The Defence Force said three NH90 helicopters were used to rescue people from their homes.
A resident waits to be plucked to rescue by a Defence Force helicopter in Esk Valley, near Napier. Photo / Defence Force
