A home flooded up to its roof in Rissington, Hawke's Bay. Photo: Supplied / Adam Hedley
Cyclone Gabrielle has cut a swathe of destruction across multiple regions of the North Island, with Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay particularly hard hit.
The regions were left with limited communications, a major power substation outage, evacuations and highway closures after the storm unleashed havoc overnight.
A state of national emergency has been declared covering Northland, Auckland, Tairāwhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Hawke's Bay.
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Two major fibre lines were damaged in the eastern part of the North Island - the Taupō to Napier line, and another across the north of the region.
Hawke's Bay
Households south of Napier at risk of flooding from the Tutaekuri River were told to evacuate on Tuesday morning after the river burst its banks.
The region's Civil Defence said residents in Waiohiki, Omahu, Taradale, Jervoistown, and Meeanee (south and east of Anderson Park) to should evacuate immediately, and go to the nearest hill because flood protection systems on the Tutaekuri river were failing to contain flood waters.
People in these areas were advised to take grab bags and animals, leave their homes right away and go to the nearest hill.
Omahu residents are being asked to go to Hastings Sports' Centre and Taradale Community are being asked to go to St Joseph's Māori Girls' School.
Fire and Emergency said multiple people on State Highway 5 were trapped in vehicles and in houses, and people were trapped awaiting rescue in Puketapu.
There were many houses flooded in Eskdale and Whirinaki which could not be reached by road as the bridge access is washed out.
Napier and Hastings District and Hawke's Bay Regional Council declared states of emergency on Tuesday morning.
Hawke's Bay Civil Defence is asking Hastings and Napier residents to reduce water use immediately.
Two major fibre lines are damaged in the eastern part of the North Island - the Taupō to Napier line, and another across the north of the region - affecting mobile coverage in Hawke's Bay.
Transpower warned Napier and Hastings residents to prepare to be without power for days, possibly weeks, due to a flooded substation at Redcliffs.
Chief executive Alison Andrew says suspected flooding has caused damage and an extended outage was likely. It was unsafe for staff to access the site and it hopes to get a helicopter in the air to assess the damage.
The major substation on the Napier-Tāupo highway is underwater and it could be days or weeks before power is fully restored.
Tairāwhiti
Gisborne is cut off by road and air, power and communications networks are out to most of the region and residents are being asked to conserve water.
Fire and Emergency said it had lost radio and cellphone contact with its ground teams in Tairāwhiti.
Residents in Riverside Road and Graham Road in Gisborne had to evacuate because the Waimata river was rising fast.
Gisborne and Wairoa are without internet, cellphone services, Eftpos and landline after the communications cable was severed at 2.15am, Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said. Residents could not call 111 and in an emergency people should go to the police station or fire station .
There were multiple road closures, effectively cutting off the region, with SH35 from Ōpōtiki and Okitu and SH2 between Gisborne and Ōpōtiki closed.
At least two bridges were out on local roads north of the city.
Severe winds felled trees on Riverside Drive, Whangārei, as Cyclone Gabrielle whipped through on Monday night. Photo: RNZ / Soumya Bhamidipati
Waikato
Waikato Civil Defence said response teams on the ground would start to assess the full impact of Cyclone Gabrielle across the region.
A state of emergency was declared for the whole region on Monday after Waikato District Council and Hauraki District Council declared local states of emergency.
Thames-Coromandel District Council has also been in a state of emergency since Auckland Anniversary weekend.
Flooding in Albert Street, Thames after Cyclone Gabrielle hit the region overnight. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
Flooding, slips, storm surges and significant storm debris have been reported in multiple districts.
Overnight, thousands in Waikato experienced power and telecommunication outages and many roads are closed due to damage and debris.
Powerco has been working to reconnect its customers with outages - many of whom were in Coromandel - but the hazardous conditions have made it impossible to repair some parts of the network.
Several communities in the region evacuated through Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday.
Cyclone Gabrielle flooded Tararu Road, Thames, and brought down much of a cliff. Photo: RNZ / Luka Forman
Bay of Plenty
A mandatory evacuation of a small number of homes in Little Waihi took place on Monday.
Bay of Plenty Civil Defence was working on getting a clear picture of what happened in the region overnight.
Most people at risk in Bay of Plenty left their homes voluntarily, but public information manager Lisa Glass told Morning Report there were high sea levels overnight and the effect was not yet clear.
There had been power outages and slips, while trees were down even in locations that were not usually hit by bad weather, and Civil Defence advised people to stay off the roads and work from home if possible.
Up to 500 houses were evacuated in Ōpōtiki on Monday due to concerns homes would flood after high tide at 1.30am. District councillor Maxie Kemara said the area was not as badly affected as feared and power was still on in the area.
Auckland
In Auckland, Emergency Management (AEM) duty controller Rachel Kelleher says significant rain overnight over much of the region caused widespread power outages, flooding, slips, and damage to properties.
Read the full story: Flooding and land slips isolate some Auckland regions
A volunteer firefighter was trapped inside a collapsed house in Muriwai. Another was rescued and is in a critical condition in hospital. The volunteer fire brigade was investigating a flooded house on Motutara Road when a landslide hit the property.
Flooding in Kumeū, Auckland. Photo: RNZ/Tom Taylor
Northland
An evacuation was underway in the in the Mangawhare area of Dargaville on Tuesday morning. Emergency services and Defence Force personnel were helping with the evacuation and people could shelter at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Hokianga Road.
Whangārei mayor Vince Cocurullo said about 15,500 thousand houses in Whangārei were without power on Tuesday morning, many in rural areas, which had been particularly hit hard.
Northland Civil Defence said more trees had been falling overnight as responders attempt to clear those that were already down.
National state of emergency: What you need to know
- The New Zealand government has declared a National State of Emergency, to assist in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle.
- The declaration will apply to the six regions that have already declared a local State of Emergency: Northland, Auckland, Tairāwhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Hawke's Bay.
- A national state of emergency gives the national controller legal authority to apply further resources across the country and set priorities in support of a national level response.
National Emergency Management Agency advice:
- Put safety first. Don't take any chances. Act quickly if you see rising water. Floods and flash floods can happen quickly. If you see rising water do not wait for official warnings. Head for higher ground and stay away from floodwater.
- Stay at home if it is safe to do so. But have an evacuation plan in case your home becomes unsafe to stay in.
- If you have evacuated, please stay where you are until you are given the all-clear to go home.
- People should stay up to date with the forecasts from MetService and continue to follow the advice of Civil Defence and emergency services.
- Do not try to walk, play, swim, or drive in floodwater: even water just 15 centimetres deep can sweep you off your feet, and half a metre of water will carry away most vehicles. Flood water is often contaminated and can make you sick.