Cyclone Gabriellel : worst storm to hit New Zealand says PM

Last Updated: February 14, 2023 | India, Delhi
Cyclone Gabriellel : worst storm to hit New Zealand says PM

In what authorities have dubbed a "unprecedented" natural calamity, Cyclone Gabrielle is battering New Zealand, displacing thousands of people, flooding houses, and causing landslides that have destroyed entire neighbourhoods. "Cyclone Gabrielle was the most important meteorological occurrence to hit New Zealand this century. The intensity and devastation we are witnessing have not been seen in a generation, according to the prime minister, Chris Hipkins, who made the statement on Tuesday. As the hurricane intensifies, "we are still developing a picture of the consequences of the cyclone." However, we are aware that the impact is substantial and extensive. According to authorities, 2,500 individuals have so far been relocated, although that number may change as There are still sizable regions that are cut off from communications and are unreachable. On Tuesday, when the extent of the storm's destruction became clear, the nation declared a state of emergency. Kieran McAnulty, the minister of disaster management, described Gabrielle as "an extraordinary meteorological phenomenon." A national state of emergency has only been proclaimed three times in the history of New Zealand. The designation enables the federal government to deploy resources throughout the nation to support civil defence initiatives. In other regions, homes and structures were submerged by flood waters; in Hawkes Bay, residents sought safety on roofs since military helicopters couldn't get to them because of the weather. Homes were destroyed by landslides on the North Island, and state routes were shut off.As floodwaters increased and neighbours were stranded on their roofs by rising water, Adrianne Mason of Esk Valley in Hawkes Bay told the Guardian that her daughter, 22, was forced to crawl out of her bedroom window in the middle of the night and swim to safety. They have managed to flee to safety to a house on higher ground, but rescuers are still unable to get to them due to the washed-out roadways caused by the river.

Mason described the floods as "catastrophic." She noted that several residences along the river looked to have "lost their dwellings totally," and that their freshly constructed home had been submerged. As floodwaters in Northland transported "300 kilogramme logs, gigantic logs, one after another, sliding off the forests up above us," a Tolaga Bay farmer described unimaginable carnage. According to Bridget Parker, the water came "pouring out over people's homes and farms." We were ready for the worst. You are in no way prepared for this slaughter. Is anyone on their way to assist? Since many areas were cut off completely on Tuesday, determining the magnitude of the damage was exceedingly difficult, and there are still no official statistics on the number of evacuees, injured, or damaged homes.Hipkins earlier on Tuesday stated, "It will take us a time to get a grasp on exactly what's transpired. "Extensive damage has been done across the nation, and many people have been relocated and their houses have lost electricity." He predicted that it would take some time to repair the storm's damage. "This recuperation won't happen overnight." Hipkins predicted that it would take some time and that some individuals will be forced to leave their houses for an extended length of time.The cyclone-and other catastrophic weather events -ould force New Zealand to alter how and where its settlements are built, according to the prime minister. He stated, "We need to examine the sustainability of some of the locations where we have previously developed." New Zealand has a lengthy history of making bad judgements in the past, which we are currently dealing with.

The extreme north of the North Island and the east coast looked to be the most damaged regions. Some areas have been completely cut off, lacking electricity, cell networks, or road access, including the coastal area of Gisborne/Tairwhiti and portions of the Hawkes Bay and Northland. Disaster and Fire In the early hours, New Zealand claimed it had lost all contact with workers on the ground personnel with Civil Defense were speaking over satellite phones on Tuesday morning.Some places saw rising floodwaters that engulfed homes and other structures; in Hastings, some residents sought refuge on roofs. Homes were destroyed and highways were blocked by landslides along Auckland's west shore. While the storm's worst has passed, according to McAnulty, "we are all facing severe flooded slides, damaged roads, and infrastructure." Roger Ball, the national head of operations for the National Emergency Management Agency, stated that "the situation is truly developing minute by minute." "Self-evacuations are happening right now, and formal evacuations are under progress." Rescue efforts and evacuations were challenging given the circumstances. The property they were checking in Muriwai, west Auckland, was devastated by a landslide, leaving one fireman in a severe condition and another still missing. McAnulty said that first responders were a lot of North Island areas are having access issues. "It [is] exceedingly difficult for them to do their duty because of the unstable terrain, the flood waters, and the closed roads." Helicopters, for example, may not be a possibility given the severity of the weather, he said of their regular alternatives.

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