Firefighter missing in landslide after cyclone batters New Zealand

New Zealand’s government declared a national state of emergency on Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north, which officials said was the country’s worst weather event in years.

A firefighter is missing and another was rescued with critical injuries after they were caught in an avalanche overnight near the country’s largest city, Auckland, authorities said.

Auckland was inundated two weeks ago by a record-breaking storm that killed four people.

The national emergency declaration allows the government to support affected areas and provide additional resources, the government said. This is only the third national emergency to be declared.

The country was hit by torrential rain overnight that forced the evacuation of 2,500 people and caused flooding, road closures – including the main route between Auckland and the capital Wellington – and left communities isolated and without telecommunications.

Turn off widespread electricity

Weather conditions worsened Tuesday as a weather system tracked southeast across the ocean away from New Zealand, a country of five million people.

But 225,000 homes and businesses remained without power and people continued to be evacuated, emergency services reported.

The power grid has not suffered such damage since 1988, when Cyclone Bola was one of the most destructive storms ever to hit New Zealand, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.

Hipkins could not yet say how the extent of the latest damage compared to Cyclone Bola.

“Obviously, the reports we’ve had are the most extreme weather events we’ve had in a long time,” Hipkins told reporters in Wellington. “At full time, we’ll know how they compare to Cyclone Bola.”

Hipkins said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had called to offer support and assistance to his country. The Australian government also said New Zealand’s neighbors were ready to offer support where and when needed, Hipkins said.

The national state of emergency includes six regions where a local state of emergency has been declared. That is Auckland, as well as the Northland, Tairawhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Hawke’s Bay regions.

Flight delays are expected this week

Weather stations in the Hawke’s Bay and Napier regions recorded three times more rain overnight than usual in February, MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said.

“It’s going to rain, sodden damage there,” Ferris said. “We’ve seen the worst of the storm today. We just have to get through today.”

Hipkins said the military was already in the hardest-hit northern region of the North Island to help with evacuations and maintain vital supplies.

“I want to acknowledge the situation New Zealand has woken up to this morning,” Hipkins told reporters. “Many families are displaced. Many homes are without power. Extensive damage is being done across the country.”

“It’s going to take some time to come to grips with what’s going on and, in time, help clean it up when we get to that point,” Hipkins said.

Most of Auckland came to a standstill on Monday as train services were cancelled, libraries and most schools closed, and authorities urged people to make only essential journeys.

Air New Zealand has canceled all domestic flights to and from Auckland until Tuesday morning, as well as many international flights.

International and domestic flights had resumed on Tuesday evening at Auckland Airport, but there were disruptions and delays for the next few days, Hipkins said.