On the morning of February 14th, local time, the New Zealand government held a press conference. Kieran mcnulty, the emergency management minister, said that a state of emergency had been declared due to the persistent impact of Hurricane Gabriel. This is the third time in New Zealand’s history that a state of emergency has been declared.
The hurricane continues to hit the North Island of New Zealand, affecting traffic and communications.
It is reported that Hurricane Gabriel continued to attack the North Island of New Zealand on the night of 13th. Floods and landslides caused by heavy rains forced many roads to close, and tens of thousands of residents in the North Island lost power. At present, the external traffic in Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Coromandel Peninsula and parts of Auckland has been interrupted, and the communication in some places has also been seriously affected.
Kieran mcnulty said that the emergency department received a large number of calls for help. In the Hawkes Bay area, the New Zealand Defence Force began to help evacuate residents. In the Murihuai area in the west of Auckland, about 300 residents were evacuated to safety.
The hurricane continues to hit the North Island of New Zealand, affecting traffic and communications.
At present, the meteorological department has issued red rainstorm warnings in many areas of New Zealand’s North Island.