Napier beaches combed for any sign of life after Cyclone Gabrielle

Thursday, 16 February 2023

Trapped residents at Whirinaki and North Shore Rd near Napier were finally able to evacuate on Thursday.

Urban Search and Rescue members were combing Napier beaches for signs of life on Thursday in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Residents in the Bay View, Eskdale and Whirinaki areas north of the city were in a state of shock, disbelief and growing concern.

Eva Bradley, who lives with her husband and two young children at Bay View, said there was a growing number of reports from rescuers around the extent of fatalities.

'The level of destruction here is virtually impossible to put into words. The sheer size and number of trees and debris over the landscape is breathtaking,' she said.

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Urban Search and Rescue were scouring the debris deposited along the Bay View shore near Napier on Thursday.

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'We have had the Urban Search and Rescue team down on the beach today and no doubt up the Esk Valley. I'm sure we will learn soon of the extent of this event in terms of loss of life,' she said.

'It's an absolute tragedy,'.

Bradley said the lack of petrol, power, food and water for those in the area was everyone's major concern.

Five people have so far been confirmed dead after Cyclone Gabrielle, including a child, with fears other bodies will be discovered.

The cyclone has also caused widespread damage to roads, bridges and properties in the region.

Meanwhile, MetService has warned that forecast further rainfall could 'exacerbate' the situation in already vulnerable areas such as Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.