Child caught in floods among at least 4 killed in cyclone that hammered New Zealand

New Zealand authorities expected rescue efforts late Wednesday after the cyclone caused flooding and landslides that claimed at least four lives.

Cyclone Gabrielle hit the north of the country on Monday and caused more damage to the country by five million than any weather event in decades.

Police say at least four people have been confirmed killed by the storm, including a child caught in rising waters on Tuesday in Eskdale in Hawke’s Bay.

All four fatalities occurred near the same North Island east coast bay. The body of a volunteer firefighter was retrieved Wednesday from a landslide that destroyed a flooded house near Auckland, police said.

Another firefighter was critically injured in the same landslide on Monday night. A woman was also killed in a landslide in Putorino and her body was found on the Napier beach on Tuesday, police said.

Police said 1,442 people had been reported unreachable in the North Island as of Wednesday evening. The large numbers can be explained by widespread telecommunications and power outages.

About 144,000 properties in the North Island were without power on Wednesday, down from 225,000 on Tuesday, The New Zealand Herald reported. A weather station in the Hawke’s Bay and Napier region recorded three times more rain on Monday night than would normally fall in February, authorities said.

More than 300 people were rescued Tuesday from the flooded bay area, including 60 stranded on one roof, Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty said. Helicopters will help rescue the last 25 individuals and family groups on Wednesday.

“Our emergency services are still conducting rescue and ground searches in several places,” McAnulty told reporters.

King Charles’ sister, Princess Anne, visited New Zealand’s disaster management headquarters in the capital, Wellington, on Wednesday and praised the nation’s response. His visit to New Zealand was scheduled before the storm hit.

“My thoughts are with all New Zealanders whose homes or livelihoods have been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle,” he said in a statement.

“I admire the courage of the people of Aotearoa during these alarming and difficult times,” he continued, using the country’s Māori language name. “You should all be proud of your resilience, strength and concern for the community you serve in the face of adversity.”

Thousands are displaced

About 9,000 people have been forced from their homes since Monday, with several communities isolated by flooding and landslides, McAnulty said.

“Everybody knows we have a long way to go as we deal with massive damage to homes, businesses, roads and bridges and basic parts of our infrastructure,” he said.

“This is a significant disaster and it will take many weeks for the worst affected areas to recover.”

Auckland was inundated two weeks ago by a record-breaking storm that also killed four people. A national emergency was declared on Tuesday, allowing the government to support affected areas and provide additional resources. This is only the third national emergency to be declared.