'A hell of a lot of people without power' as Cyclone Gabrielle lashes North Island
Wednesday, 15 February 2023
There are “still a hell of a lot of people without power” following Cyclone Gabrielle, which is cause for concern, Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty says.
The minister gave an update on Wednesday morning after the cyclone thrashed large parts of the North Island.
He is set to hold another media conference at 11.30am. This will be livestreamed on Stuff.
McAnulty said the two deaths overnight in Hawke’s Bay were “incredibly sad”.
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One – a woman who died after a landslide hit her house – was linked to the cyclone. A body was also found on a beach outside Napier, with the circumstances yet to be confirmed.
Evacuation under way and ‘still a hell of a lot of people without power’
There was an evacuation under way in Hawke’s Bay on Wednesday morning. McAnulty said details were patchy and it was an evolving situation, however, the teams there were “on top of it”.
“The communications have been improved, largely linked to the power. There was roughly 225,000 people without power yesterday, the update I got this morning was 144,000.
“That’s [a] good improvement but it’s still a hell of a lot of people without power.”
McAnulty said he did not have an update on the number of people displaced, which was estimated at 2500 on Tuesday.
“There is an evacuation currently under way at the moment. So, no doubt that numbers going to climb.”
Cut-off communities
McAnulty said there had been encouraging news overnight – “most of Gisborne now has power again which is going to make a massive difference, hopefully we’re going to be able to regain communications”.
Power was also back in Wairoa and local Civil Defence staff had been in contact, while fire, police and emergency communication lines were also back up.
The movement of the cyclone out to sea would make rescue and contact operations easier, he said.
McAnulty said there were patches across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti he was concerned about, largely linked to power supplies.
“So when we hear the likes of Gisborne has, on the whole, got power back, that's greatly encouraging.”
Rescue missions
There were about 300 people rescued from rooftops in Hawke's Bay on Tuesday.
“The frustrating thing yesterday in Hawke's Bay was that we knew that they were severely impacted,” McAnulty said.
'We didn't have clear communications across the whole region and the weather was such that even those that we did know about, the rescuers couldn't get to [them].
“I'm hearing reports this morning that local operators or helicopters joined by the military as well were able to rescue that many people off the roof.”
“I do know that because of the weather they were restricted, and also it got dark, which makes it harder, I haven't had a report to say that they were able to rescue everyone yet. I hope they have.
“Obviously that'll be continuing this morning, but I haven't heard any reports that they haven't been able to get anyone so – fingers crossed.”
Concerns for Coromandel, Northland
McAnulty said each area had its own particular issues. “Coromandel, for example, has been absolutely pelted over the summer [with] flood, after flood, after flood,” he said.
“The roading network, both state highways and local roads, has been decimated with slips, SH25A's gone and will be for a long time.”
He said there was isolated coastal communities, prone to severe weather events with saturated grounds.
“The same for Gisborne and obviously Hawke's Bay is a developing situation. There's a lot to be worried about.”
In Northland, there were fears farmers couldn’t milk their cows as they didn’t have power, leading to animal welfare concerns.
The 24-hour outlook
McAnulty said he was encouraged by the “relatively OK” weather forecast. The Chatham Islands was going to “feel the brunt” of the cyclone, but it wouldn’t be “anywhere near as bad as we thought”.
Marlborough was under a weather watch, which McAnulty was worried about.
“We’re going to be watching for a few days yet. Just because the weather is moving out to the east, doesn't mean it's over.”
McAnulty’s advice was: “Safety first, look after yourself and your family”.
“If you feel unsafe, and it's safe to do so, leave home. If you can communicate, make sure people know where you are.
“If it's safe to stay, and you don't need to go, if you've got the provisions, hunker down, look after each other.
“It will be OK. It will clear, if you need help, reach out and we'll give it to you.”