The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand increased to nine on Saturday as cleanup on the North Island continued and police searched for missing people. On Sunday, the storm reached the top area of the North Island and travelled down the east coast, wreaking havoc.
It Was a Tragic Incident: Cyclone Gabrielle
A week after Cyclone Gabrielle, the weather bears no resemblance to what occurred, and much of Napier has returned to normalcy – though many remain without power. But, it only takes a few minutes to observe the full depth of the damage. Apples and pumpkins are strewn around on Pakowhai Rd, and dwellings are uninhabitable yet full of sludgy mud. The roadside has been cleansed of dead livestock. About 20 minutes later, in the Esk Valley, the magnitude of the flood is incomprehensible – there’s still water lying around, but where it’s dried up, there are thick sheets of debris with upturned cars and trailers sticking from them.
Cyclone Gabrielle Missing Victims: What do Officials Say?
On Saturday, police confirmed they were investigating a possible cyclone-related death in the Hawke’s Bay region, bringing the death toll to nine. Aid delivery to affected areas was also a top priority, with the navy announcing that a ship carrying 26 tonnes of supplies was on its way to Napier in Hawke’s Bay. The air force said helicopters carrying food and water were en route to the trapped community of Tutira, approximately 105 kilometres north. The prime minister, Chris Hipkins, stated the response to the disaster was “still underway, and individuals across the North Island work around the clock”. Authorities said on Saturday that about 5,000 people had registered with the police as being out of touch with friends or relatives since the storm hit as of Friday night, while 885 had registered as safe.
“When the silt and the effluent is drying and people are driving through it, and the clear up is progressing nicely, the dust probably contains certain pollutants and diseases that are a public health danger. “It poses a risk to the general public and our field rescue workers,” Cooper stated that they had searched for 2000 residences in a large area. Rescue personnel had conducted extensive searches of 600 places where it was claimed that someone could be in the house and 620 properties where someone was reported missing.
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