*Most updates in this report first appeared on rnz.co.nz and are republished with permission*
The Prime Minister has given an update just hours after the Government moved to take over direction of the response to Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand's third-ever state of national emergency
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says it has been "a very big night for New Zealanders", with many families displaced, tens of thousands of homes without power and extensive damage across the country.
"Overnight it's difficult in the dark to find out exactly what's happening. At first light this morning as soon as the extent of the disruption and the damage became clear, advice was provided to the minister and therefore through the minister to me that a state of national emergency should be declared and we acted on that immediately."
He says the Government will be working as quickly as possible with agencies and telecommunications companies to restore communication.
Hipkins hopes to get back to Wellington today, and has had a briefing from the team at National Emergency Management Agency.
The defence force is on the ground, providing logistical support, helping with evacuations, and moving supplies. They will help with the clean-up as appropriate "when we get to that point", he says.
"This extreme weather event ... probably the biggest we have seen in recent times comes hot on the heels of other extreme weather events that we have seen."
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.
9.45am: Civil Defence Minister Kieran McAnulty has declared a national state of emergency, for just the third time in history, after widespread devastation by Cyclone Gabrielle across the North Island.
The move means central government takes primary responsibility for directing the emergency response. McAnulty will hold a press briefing shortly to explain the decision to intervene.
“This declaration will enable the Government to support the affected regions, provide additional resources as they are needed, and help set the priorities across the country for the response."
NZ Defence Force staff are already deployed in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.
McAnulty said: "We're through the worst of the storm itself but we face extensive slips and flooding."
The declaration was no reflection on the outstanding work of emergency services and responders, but rather a response to advice that local civil defence teams had told the National Emergency Management agency it would be beneficial.
The fire service says one of its rescuers is missing and another critically injured after being caught in a landslide at a collapsed house at Muriwai, northwest of Auckland.
A Fire and Emergency statement this morning says: "Last night, a crew from one of our volunteer fire brigades were investigating flooding in a house on Motutara Road in Muriwai. While they were at the property, a landslide occurred on the slope above, and the house collapsed.
"Two of our firefighters were trapped. One was rescued early this morning and is in a critical condition in hospital. The search for our second firefighter was suspended in the early hours of the morning due to the instability of the land.
"A full rescue operation was initiated as soon as the landslide occurred, involving 10 crews from seven brigades and including Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), Police and St John.
"A geotechnical assessment of the area will be carried out as soon as possible so decisions can be made about resuming the search.
"Our thoughts are with our firefighters, and with their loved ones. We are also providing support to the other members of their brigade. This is a very difficult time for them, and for every member of Fire and Emergency NZ when we are also focused on responding to the continuing need in so many communities across the North Island today."
Residents were told to evacuate to the Muriwai Surf Club, where up to 200 people gathered. Army Unimog trucks took the elderly and those with young children to the nearby town of Waimauku.
At Piha, also on the west coast of Auckland, the village is cut off by a slip on its main access road and multiple slips blocking streets. One house was badly damaged by a hillside collapsing at North Piha.
Auckland Emergency Management said at 4.40 am: "We are aware that it's been a busy night of landslides across the region. We are working to get contractors and engineers lined up to start assessments as soon as weather conditions allow."
Fire and Emergency handled 82 calls in an hour from 10-11am, bringing to nearly 1700 total incidents in the past 24 hours.
On the East Coast, emergency services were currently unable to rescue people from roofs by helicopter because of high winds.
Multiple people on SH5 in Hawkes Bay were trapped in vehicles and in houses, and people were trapped awaiting rescue in Puketapu.
"We have lost radio and cellular contact with our people on the ground in Tairawhiti and are working to regain contact by other means," FENZ said.
Districts from Coromandel to the Esk Valley in Hawkes Bay have been subject to partial evacuation orders as officials worried about the high rainfall levels and flooding.
Heavy rain warnings have just expired for Auckland, the Coromandel and Gisborne but remain in place for Hawkes Bay, and heavy rain watches have been issued by MetService for Bay of Plenty, Waitomo, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo and the Canterbury Plains.
Gisborne is without water and at one stage the city was also without power as Cyclone Gabrielle smashed the East Coast overnight. The city is reportedly without internet and local officials could not issue emergency alerts on Monday night.
Authorities ordered evacuations in streets near rivers and in the village of Ormond, and Gisborne's three main roads out of town - south to Napier, across the Waioeka Gorge to Opotiki and north to Tolaga Bay were closed.
A major water connection between the city's dam and water treatment plant was damaged and officials were waiting for first light to inspect by helicopter if possible. Residents were told to restrict water use.
Some communities on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula are cut off, and many more faced the situation if the Karangahake Gorge had to be closed, Waka Kotahi warned on Monday night.
The agency expected the situation in the region to deteriorate further overnight as Cyclone Gabrielle hits the country.
"The full force of Cyclone Gabrielle is making itself known in the Coromandel and East Waikato, causing extremely dangerous driving conditions due to slips, flooding, storm surges and debris on the roads.
"The gorge is being monitored and a traffic management team is in place to ensure a closure can be implemented quickly should flooding occur."
Waka Kotahi says multiple slips and flood damage have closed roads across Northland, SH2 at Maramarua, the Karangahake Gorge between Paeroa and Waihi, the Kaimai ranges, Desert Rd, Napier-Taupo highway and numerous others in the North Island.
"Staying home keeps you safe and helps emergency services get to people in need. It means our contractors can also move around the network more efficiently, speeding up response times."
Multiple roads in the Coromandel are already closed with others only open for essential travel. The Thames-Coromandel District Council says cell phone coverage has been lost in Whangamatā and Tairua and coastal communities such as Matarangi and Hahei.
Emergency officials began advising residents in Waihi Beach and Athenree to consider evacuating on Monday night, and in West Auckland the beach village of Piha was suffering slips, power outages and road closures, prompting a recommendation for people to evacuate.
In Gisborne, authorities began asking people to evacuate from houses on roads near the city's rivers, following an urgent flood warning in Tairāwhiti Gisborne as all river levels are rising due to the heavy rain.
The message was blunt: Residents in Riverside Rd and Graham Rd needed to move now.
Civil Defence says there are issues with the flooding warning text system but people in a low lying area should move to higher ground.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered along a long stretch of eastern Bay of Plenty coastline as Cyclone Gabrielle batters the North Island, with the defence force helping evacuate a camp ground near Ōpōtiki.
Severe heavy rain, gale force winds and storm surges brought by the cyclone are causing widespread damage, and emergency services are under pressure as the storm lifts roofs off houses, downs trees and floods streets.
As many as 400 properties are being asked to evacuate in the Ōpōtiki District between Waiotahe and East Cape, with another 100 evacuations ordered in the Whakatāne District, including at Ōhope Beach.
Ōpōtiki District Council incident controller, Gerard McCormack, said the worst of the cyclone was due to hit at about the same time as high tide, which could cause serious inundation in the middle of the night.
"It's basically all across our coastline, it covers quite a large area," he said.
McCormack said there was a good chance the town could become cut off if there's another slip on State Highway 2.
In Auckland, emergency management officials have ordered the immediate evacuation and red-stickering of 30 Mt Eden apartments after concerns over the stability of the more than century-old Colonial Shot Tower, which is around 30 metres high. After an engineering inspection, all residences within 35 metres had to be emptied until at least after the cyclone passes.
Residents from affected apartments in Normanby Rd were advised to stay with friends or family if possible, or buses were lined up near the scene and they could be taken to a West Auckland emergency accommodation centre. Around 50 people were involved.
Fire and Emergency says it logged 90 incidents between 7-8pm, 24 in Northland, 28 in Auckland, 27 in Waikato, 6 in Bay of Plenty, 2 in Gisborne and 3 in Hawkes Bay
It was prioritising calls where life and safety is at risk, including
- Trees bringing down power lines and blocking roads in the Far North District
- Rescuing people trapped behind downed power lines, and flooded houses in Whangarei
- Roofs lifting from houses in Kaipara District;
- Trees fallen on homes, slips, flooding, rescuing people stuck in lifts in Auckland;
- Roofs lifting, windows blown out and a garden shed being blown around in Thames-Coromandel District;
- Tree fallen on a house in Waipa District
Earlier this evening, the Aratere Interislander broke down mid-sail just short of the Tory Channel, but, as reported by Stuff, the engine was restarted and the ship started moving again around 6.30pm.
Meanwhile, the Government has announced a further $11.5 million in support for regions affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle.
Speaking from Auckland, where he was stuck after the storm prompted domestic flight cancellations, Hipkins said "For Northland, Auckland, the Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty the start of the year has been incredibly challenging. Extreme weather event has come on top of extreme weather event."
The money will include $4m for community groups with government contracts, $4m for "community connectors", $2m for community groups who are not MSD providers (capped at $3500 per group), $1m to replenish food bank stocks, and $500,000 for meeting the needs of disabled people.
"Many people just haven't been able to catch a break. The need in the community is significant and the effect of the repeated weather events has compounded that - our social service agencies are stretched to capacity."
Hipkins made the announcement as Cyclone Gabrielle causes mayhem across the North Island.
As of 1.30pm, about 46,000 customers had lost power with the bulk - about 24,000 - in Northland. Tonight, the numbers without power in Auckland are growing. Vector reports that as of 6pm, 22,000 customers were without power - compared to 13,000 earlier today.
It says its crews continue to work in "terrible conditions" but nightfall will make restoring power more difficult and mean some outages are not safe to work on.
Here's the latest wind gust forecast from our high-resolution model ~ the strongest winds are yet to come! 🌬️ ⚠️ Notice how the red colouring (🔴 - risk for damaging winds) expands late Monday & Monday night as #CycloneGabrielle tracks very closely to the Coromandel Peninsula. pic.twitter.com/3FppzeKvO5
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) February 12, 2023
Civil Defence centres and shelters have been set up across the top of the North Island and would be used if people needed to leave their homes.
States of emergency have been declared in Northland, Auckland, Thames-Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Ōpōtiki, Tairāwhiti, Waikato, Hauraki District, Hawkes Bay and Whakatāne.
MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths says heavier rain is expected tonight while parts of Auckland that haven't seen wind yet should expect severe gales overnight. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says the next 24 hours will be challenging. People should pay attention to the forecast and expect it could be worse than predicted, he sys.
Aotea Great Barrier Island is in for a hard night, Griffiths says, with the cyclone preventing an aerial search for a missing person on a boat near the island.
Roading contractors have been sent home due to safety conditions and everyone on the island, where flood levels continue to rise and more roads are collapsing from slips, is being advised to stay indoors.
North in Whangārei, those in the city centre have been told to evacuate as flooding hits. Shelter is available at McKay Stadium in Kensington.
Northpower has been working to restore power in the Whāngarei area, writing on Facebook that "cyclone winds have caused major damage to the network, much of it from trees falling through lines".
Meteorologist Angus Hines warns the storm shouldn't be taken lightly
“We have a couple more days of wild weather ahead. We’ve never had such an extensive range of red severe weather warnings - which are the highest classification of severe weather warning MetService can issue.”
Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty says the need to declare a national state of emergency is being monitored and actively reviewed every four hours.
"We have not reached that point and we may not have to. This is an all-of-government response with all agencies ready to respond as needed."
At a separate morning briefing, Aucklanders were warned further power outages were likely. "If power's come back on for you, then perhaps make the most of that," duty controller Rachel Kelleher said.
"We would remind everyone that this weather is likely to lead to more land instability so please keep an eye out for any slips."
Fire and Emergency said Monday morning "was just the beginning and it is going to be a long storm. We are expecting widespread surface flooding. Please don't drive through it".
"Please help us to get to the people who need us the most. That means calling 111 if life is at risk. If someone is trapped, if there is a fire, if there is a landslide or if people can't get out."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins became stuck in Auckland while Air New Zealand's domestic flights were grounded, meaning Cabinet was held online today.
Hipkins said climate change and resilience were at the top of the agenda, as Auckland deals with another blow from severe weather in the space of two weeks.
He defended the Labour government's action on climate change, which had been labelled by former prime minister Jacinda Ardern as her generation's "nuclear moment".
The Government was already working to address the challenges posed by the changing climate and severe weather events, but it was also about building resilience, he said.
There were no evacuations from homes last night in Auckland. Around 50 people had sought help - "coming and going" - in evacuation centres across the city.
Auckland Transport says it has had 400 people, including geotechnical engineers, available to respond to incidents or damage.
Commuter trains in the city have been cancelled until at least tomorrow, the harbour bridge has reopened but with lane and speed restrictions, and most schools in the region have shut their doors. All commuter ferries have also been cancelled and delays are expected for bus services.
Air travel is also impacted as Air New Zealand has cancelled all domestic flights from or through Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Taupō, with 509 flights cancelled so far.
However, the airline intends to resume domestic and international flights from mid-morning Tuesday, and turboprop operations from mid-afternoon.
Air New Zealand’s chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty says 10,000 of its international customers have been affected, with 6500 still yet to be rebooked.
“Because flights are very full, some customers may receive a notification saying they won’t depart for up to 20 days after their original booking. We want to assure those customers we now have teams working to get them on an earlier flight – it’s our top priority.”
Additionally, non-essential services in Auckland, including libraries, community centres, early childhood education centres, and active recreation centres are all shut.
Meanwhile, 26 emergency shelters and civil defence centres are now open across Auckland. St John Ambulance has bolstered its staff numbers in Coromandel, and at its call centre.
MetService and Niwa are warning the worst is likely yet to come as Cyclone Gabrielle moves down the country, with significant wind and rain expected across Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, the East Coast including Tairāwhiti, and Hawke's Bay.
The Tairāwhiti district from Gisborne up the East Coast declared a state of emergency at 9.45am on Monday which will last for seven days and Opotiki's mayor also signed a state of emergency declaration because of the district's past record of extreme weather events.
About 200 emergency management workers are on standby in Coromandel and numbers are being boosted by Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency and Defence personnel from outside the region.
All schools and council facilities are closed for the next few days.
Six evacuations centres have been set up and between 12 and 15 community-led centres will be opened if required.
Residents in low-lying areas along the eastern side of the peninsula have been warned to self evacuate due to expected storm surges, particularly at high tides.
Areas most at risk are between Whangamatā and north of Mercury Bay, including Whitianga.
Speaking at Sunday's official update, MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths said even with significant wind gusts in Northland already being reported, the weather yesterday was just the start.
"This is the entree. This is not the impact day."
She said rainfall on Monday would be "significant" - up to 40mm in just one hour possible.
Aucklanders should see a pause in the wild weather late on Monday night, before severe southwest gales on Tuesday across the whole city
She said MetService had not seen pressure this low in 40 years.
"This is a serious event for New Zealand."
While the Ministry of Education hasn't officially ordered schools to close, dozens of schools in Auckland are closed today and some Tuesday as well. Parents are urged to check their children's school's status with the school on social media or by email tonight.
The Northland Regional council said emergency declarations were relatively rare in Northland, with only six emergency declarations in the past 50 years, some of which affected only parts of the region.
MetService reported on Monday morning that rain in Whangārei in the 24 hours to 9am was the second highest ever, at 183.8 mm, and twice the area's usual monthly January rainfall.
Auckland Emergency Management gave its latest state of emergency update as Cyclone Gabrielle made landfall in New Zealand.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said it would be a challenging time, but Auckland was well-prepared and taking it seriously.
"This time, we've got a lot more warning and we are better-prepared [than the flooding in late January]."
He said the build-up to the cyclone had been "intense".
"I'm well aware of the remote rural areas. I've ensured that they've been included in all of the planning, not just an urban-based plan."
He said emergency services were on high alert, and asked for people to check on neighbours, whānau, friends to make sure they were okay.
"Aucklanders are strong and resilient and we will get through this. Stay safe. Kia kaha."
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson urged people to reach out if they needed help.
"You've still got time, Auckland. Please prepare. There will be destruction from this cyclone."
Fire and Emergency spokesperson Vaughan Mackereth said it was bringing in specialist crews, medics, engineers, search and rescue and more.
"People can be confident there are sufficient firefighters."
He said there had been a small number of callouts in Northland today, including a tree fallen on a house, and several coming down on powerlines.
"Take action at home if you haven't already. Tie down all loose items in your backyard. Bring them inside.
"Once the storm hits, stay off the roads if you can. That reduces your risk, don't drive or ride through floodwater. It's hard to judge the depth or see hidden objects."
Auckland Transport safety executive general manager Stacey van der Putten said people should keep off the road as much as possible.
"If you need to travel, take the time to plan your journey with the most up to date information available."
She warned of possible changes and cancellations in the public transport network and that while the goal was to keep public transport operating, "we do need to take a risk-based approach" based on safety.
Air New Zealand is cancelling all flights, to, from or through Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Taupō until midday on Tuesday.
The InterCity bus network has cancelled three day-time services today and overnight services between Auckland and Wellington tonight and tomorrow as a precaution.
The University of Auckland will move to online exams Monday and Tuesday.
Jury trials in Auckland and Whangārei are being postponed until Wednesday.
Among the other closures are Auckland Zoo, which announced it is closing Sunday afternoon until further notice, and Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Art Gallery, which will be closed Monday. Rainbow's End amusement park is closed today and Monday.
Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Rachel Kelleher confirmed that Monday and Tuesday rubbish collections would not happen and the next collection would not be until the next collection date.
She said several programmes of work - such as the flood-affected property from kerbsides - had been stopped, and would resume once the impact of Gabrielle was known.
She said this would be a "severe and potentially devastating weather event", and urged people to take advice seriously.
"I want to assure you that supermarkets will continue to remain open. They're well-stocked."
She said individual supermarkets might shut if they were affected.
Kelleher said anybody going to a shelter could take pets such as "contained cats" and dogs on leashes with them.
She said Aucklanders should check AEM.org.nz and Facebook for up-to-date information and the locations of shelters.
The NZ Muslim Association announced the Auckland region's mosques would be opening their doors as emergency shelters for people fleeing their homes due to the cyclone.
Northland is already experiencing Cyclone Gabrielle's impacts, with nearly 1500 homes losing power.
Some parts of Auckland have also lost power.
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Earlier report from Sunday morning:
The upper North Island is already being soaked as Cyclone Gabrielle makes its presence felt on Sunday morning
Severe weather warnings are in place for most of the North Island, with Cyclone Gabrielle due to arrive in the region on Sunday.
It's been downgraded to a Category 2 system, but forecasters warn it could still bring destructive winds and heavy rain. One resident said most of the properties on the island are not built to withstand severe cyclones.
Orange-level strong wind warnings are in place across the upper North Island, from Northland through to Hawke's Bay.
Air New Zealand has cancelled several flights.
Auckland and Coromandel
Rain has been falling overnight in Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The wettest part of the country currently is Waitakere, West Auckland.
The rain is forecast to get heavier, with severe gales also likely.
MetService says the amount of rain forecast for Coromandel Peninsula and northern Gisborne is expected to cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding.
Coromandel is under a red-level heavy rain warning, with up to 400mm expected on the ranges, and up to 250mm elsewhere. Monday afternoon/evening is expected to be the peak, and "cause dangerous river conditions and significant flooding", as well as slips.
Auckland and Great Barrier Island are under an orange heavy rain warning, with up to 250mm north of Whangaparaoa and 200m south.
"There remains some uncertainty associated with the exact track of Cyclone Gabrielle. Changes may be made in following updates, and this may be upgraded to a red warning."
Auckland Transport is urging travellers to be extremely cautious. Executive general manager of safety, Stacey van der Putten, says although the worst weather is expected from Monday, Auckland is already feeling the cyclone's impacts.
She warns the Harbour Bridge may face closures or restrictions on short notice, and travellers should keep an alternative route in mind.
Van der Putten is also encouraging Aucklanders to reconsider travelling on Monday and Tuesday.
The New Zealand Defence Force is expecting to be called out for evacuations.
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Fisher has been working with Auckland Emergency Management to prepare for evacuations around the North Island. He said roughly 100 Defence Force personnel are preparing for the cyclone response in Auckland, with more positioned outside the city.
"I think based on the last weather events we've seen, evacuations are likely. But the issue here is that the cyclone is largely unpredictable, so we need to be ready to move assets around the North Island based on where the greatest need is."
An Auckland firefighter was frustrated by the dire lack of staff as the region faced yet another major weather event.
Firefighters' union Auckland Secretary Martin Campbell said his station will have even fewer staff than they had during the floods two weeks ago, and the lack of firefighters will leave Aucklanders vulnerable.
"It's the worst-case scenario - we're here to protect the public, we're here to do a job. We are being prevented from being able to do that… it frustrates us immensely because we know the organisation can and should be being doing so much better."
Maritime New Zealand is warning boaties to stay out of the water when Cyclone Gabrielle hits the country. Spokesperson Michael-Paul Abbott said heavy rain can cause flooding which hides potential risks, and kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders should not be in the water.
He says bulk carriers, container ships, passenger ferries should have plans in place for such a weather event.
East Coast
East Coast residents are bracing for another onslaught of forestry slash as Cyclone Gabrielle arrives just weeks after Cyclone Hale.
MetService has issued a red warning for Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay, where up to 400mm of rain is expected.
Deputy Civil Defence Officer Nori Parata said her community was still recovering after slash blocked waterways and damaged properties during the previous cyclone.
She said slash was a lingering concern for the community, and expects Cyclone Gabrielle will undo all of the progress the town has made so far to clean up.
"Our beach has just been cleaned up and the waterways affected by the previous cyclone have been mostly cleared. We're probably expecting we'll be back in the same position after this event."
Parata said the Tolaga Bay community was digging deep to find the resolve to make it through yet another severe weather crisis.
Northland
Northland is under an orange heavy rain warning, with up to 250mm expected south of Kaeo, and 150mm elsewhere. Monday afternoon/evening will be the worst of it.
The region had winds over 130km/h at 6am Sunday, MetService said.
MetService said the orange warning could be upgraded to red as the cyclone arrives.
An iwi in the far north says it's prepared to support its community when Cyclone Gabrielle hits.
Chief executive of Te Runanganui o Te Aupouri, Mariameno Kapa-kingi, said their team has already done welfare checks for about 200 people in Te Kao ahead of the weather.
Kapa-kingi said they're ready to help with the clearing of downed trees, and any other needs of the community during the weather event.
A number of marae in Northland may be available as welfare centres when Cyclone Gabrielle hits the region.
A health organisation based near Kaitaia, Whakawhiti Ora Pai, said it has been talking to marae in the area. General manager Errol Murray said several marae are prepared to step up if needed, and they have been doing welfare checks on vulnerable communities ahead of the cyclone.
"We just make do. Our team's already doing some welfare checks… seeing if they're prepared and make sure they don't need a reason to go out. We're also preparing food, kai and water."
