North Island

• Water and power were slowly restored to cyclone-ravaged New Zealand cities.
• The death toll from the tragedy climbed to nine.
• Economists have estimated the cost of recovery will run to billions of dollars.

NEW ZEALAND: Water and power were slowly restored to cyclone-ravaged New Zealand cities on Saturday, as the death toll from the tragedy climbed to nine.

About a week after Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc on the country’s North Island, producing landslides and severe floods, recovery work has begun in earnest.

“About 24% of (Napier) households now have electricity, and urgent work continues to bring more online as quickly as possible,” Ball told reporters.

New Zealand has struggled to cope

Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest countries and well-versed in dealing with earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural catastrophes, New Zealand has struggled to cope with the magnitude of Cyclone Gabrielle‘s devastation.

Whole neighborhoods are still cut off, important highways are closed, and telecommunications networks are in shambles.

Economists have estimated the cost of recovery will run to billions of dollars.

“This is going to be a major focus for New Zealand and for the responding agencies for some time.”

Authorities report that about 1,500 people are still in emergency shelters, mostly in the hard-hit Hawke’s Bay region.

Thousands of people are said to be uncontactable. Yet, authorities have struggled to maintain lists up to date and to sift out duplicate allegations involving the same person.

The death toll from the disaster continues to increase as emergency responders reach more homes and communities.

“We now know that nine people have lost their lives and our emergency services hold great fears for others,” said Ball.

Two volunteer firefighters were killed, as was a two-year-old girl who was swept away from her family by floodwaters.

Authorities plan to contact the majority of the uncontacted communities by the end of Saturday.

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• New Zealand prepares for a major storm.
• The country has already been devastated by fatal flooding.
• Cyclone Gabrielle is predicted to make landfall on the country’s North Island on Saturday night.

New Zealand is preparing for a major storm that threatens to impact areas of the country that have already been devastated by fatal flooding.

Cyclone Gabrielle is predicted to make landfall on the country’s North Island on Saturday night, bringing strong gusts and heavy rain.

Residents have been advised to stock up on supplies to the last three days in case they become stranded at home.

The storm comes just weeks after severe rain swamped Auckland.

Tens of thousands of sandbags have been supplied due to fears that the saturated ground and compromised infrastructure have made residences more vulnerable to flooding.

Evacuation shelters have been erected once more, and the national carrier, Air New Zealand, has canceled many domestic flights ahead of the storm.

Social media images and videos showed huge lines at stores and empty shelves as residents braced for further severe weather.

Northland, New Zealand‘s most northern province, has already begun to endure severe winds, according to local media.

Cyclone Gabrielle has been downgraded from a category three cyclone to a category two storm, implying less destructive winds.

Forecasters have warned that they may still be strong enough to destroy trees and electricity lines and that enough rain may fall in the coming days to create more flooding and landslides.

 

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The Coromandel Peninsula and the Tairwhiti/Gisborne region, both of which were damaged by the recent torrential rain, have been placed under the most severe weather warning.

Ready to Evacuate

Flood-prone areas have been advised to prepare for evacuation.

“There’s a degree of nervousness and anxiety around this coming event,” the Thames-Coromandel district’s mayor, Len Salt, told the Stuff news website.

“Coromandel people are pretty resilient, but the fact we’ve been in this mode dealing with storm events from the beginning of January…people are tired.”

Meanwhile, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology has reported that circumstances on Norfolk Island’s isolated territory have began to deteriorate as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The island, which is located north of New Zealand, has also been declared unsafe. Residents have been advised to stay indoors and seek cover in the strongest portion of their homes.

Only three cyclones have passed within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of the island in the last 30-40 years.

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