After tropical storm Gabriel left a trail of devastation in New Zealand, the death toll continues to rise. One person has been swept away by flooding in the Gisborne region, making it the fifth confirmed fatality. The number could rise even further, as many people are still missing.
Many people have not yet been contacted, says police spokeswoman Jeanette Park. However, communication with some of the hard-hit areas remained difficult due to disrupted cell phone reception and power outages. “The destruction is incredible,” Park said after visiting the disaster area. “When you see that, you just can’t believe it.”
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins also received a picture of the situation on site on Thursday. “The damage is massive and we are just trying to understand the full extent,” he said. “We will see more weather events like this in the future and we need to be prepared,” Hipkins added.
Gusts of wind of 140 km/h, waves of eleven meters high
“Gabrielle” swept across New Zealand’s North Island on Monday with winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour. The storm brought heavy rain and waves up to 11 meters high. On Tuesday there were still hurricane-like winds. According to the authorities, the worst was over on Wednesday, but more heavy rains in the disaster area were predicted for Thursday.
The storm and its aftermath had caused houses to collapse and roads to be destroyed. More than 10,000 people had to evacuate their homes, some of whom the military had to evacuate from the roofs of their flooded homes by helicopters. In many places, residents were cut off from the power supply. Due to the enormous damage, the government declared a national emergency on Tuesday.
Source: Krone
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