Cyclone Gabrielle death toll climbs in New Zealand amid new storm warning

Kiwis are being warned to brace for more severe storms as the death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle rose to five - with thousands still unaccounted for.

The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle has risen to five and many more are missing as emergency services issue a new storm warning for residents.

A fifth death was confirmed early on Thursday morning in the Gisborne region, where police believe the person was caught in floodwater.

Maik Beekmans, a resident of Eskdale who was on holiday during the cyclone, told Radio NZ a woman was still missing after failing to escape rising waters at his property on Tuesday.

People wading through flood waters in the city of Napier, situated on the North Island's east coast. Picture: AFP

Mr Beekmans’ best friend Gareth and his girlfriend spent three weeks house and dog-sitting when they found themselves in the path of the storm.

“They sought refuge on our bench-top in the kitchen and the water kept rising. He smashed his way through the ceiling,” he said.

“As they were trying to make their way onto the roof, only Gareth made it.

Seasonal workers stranded by floodwaters in Hawke’s Bay are just some of the people who have been rescued and taken to a local evacuation centre.
 
They were rescued by personnel from the @NZArmy and @nzpolice using four Unimog trucks.

➡️ https://t.co/joHDu4sglhpic.twitter.com/HVKLEg6z3D

— NZ Defence Force (@NZDefenceForce) February 14, 2023

“We think he lost his girlfriend that night. She disappeared underwater. She disappeared under the house and she’s been missing and things aren’t looking great.”

A missing persons report has been filed for the woman, with Mr Beekmans stuck in transit in Auckland and unable to get to Napier to survey his property.

Two huge poplar trees succumbed to Cyclone Gabrielle near Warkworth. Picture: Getty Images

It comes as police said the body of a child was found in a town on the remote east coast on Wednesday, with the youngster “believed to have been caught in rising floodwater”.

Three other bodies have also been recovered, including a woman killed when her house was crushed by a landslide and volunteer firefighter Dave van Zwanenberg who became trapped by a collapsing home.

More than 10,000 people have been displaced by the cyclone, with thousands spending the night at civil defence centres in hard-hit regions.

Residents in Taradale clean up silt following flood waters. Picture: Getty Images

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the ranges of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, in Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay, and parts of Bay of Plenty between 3pm and 10pm Thursday.

MetService is warning a few of the thunderstorms could be severe with localised downpours of 25 to 40mm per hour and hail.

STRONG QUAKE FELT IN WELLINGTON

Meanwhile New Zealand’s capital Wellington was swayed by a strong earthquake on Wednesday, with residents reporting feeling a sudden jolt and buildings quivering.

The US Geological Survey said the quake measured 5.7 on the moment magnitude scale, with an epicentre in the Cook Strait between the country’s two main islands.

“A big shake there! A magnitude 6.0, 57 km deep, 50 km north-west of Paraparaumu was widely felt in the North Island,” said New Zealand’s Civil Defence agency.

There were no immediate reports of damage, and no tsunami warning was issued.

People in Wellington told the NZ Herald there was a “big bump” before homes started shaking “aggressively for about 30 seconds, before swaying”. A steady rumble reportedly followed afterwards.

One woman at a preview screening of the upcoming Antman movie, said a third of the theatre fled when the earthquake struck.

“At the Antman preview screening in Wellington, (an) earthquake just hit and like a third of the theatre is like nah we’re outta here,” she said.

“It was like a freight train hurtling past our house,” said David Haxton, who lives in Raumati Beach, of the first quake.

“My wife, our two kids, and I quickly gathered under a doorway and waited for the shaking to subside. It felt like it lasted for about 30 seconds. Everyone’s heartbeats were racing.

“The family dog was more interested in the food on our dinner plates as we scarpered to the doorway.”

People stranded preparing to be air lifted from their rooftop by a military helicopter in the Esk Valley, near the North Island city of Napier. Picture: New Zealand Defence Force / AFP

‘ROYAL SHOCKED BY NZ HORROR

Princess Anne urged New Zealanders to “be strong”, or Kia Kaha, as the death toll from the devastating cyclone began to climb.

“My thoughts are with all New Zealanders whose homes or livelihoods have been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle,” she said after visiting the national disaster and crisis headquarters in Wellington.

The Princess Royal said she was impressed by the major efforts of first responders working to reach survivors of the cyclone.

“I admire the courage of the people of Aotearoa during this alarming and difficult time,” she added.

“You should all be proud of the resilience, strength and care for your communities you are showing in the face of adversity. Kia Kaha.”

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, visits New Zealand’s first responders. Picture: Supplied

SURVIVORS PLUCKED FROM ROOFTOPS

With the storm now fading into the South Pacific, rescue teams are finally reaching regions cut off by days of torrential rain and gale-force winds.

The New Zealand military deployed three NH90 helicopters on reconnaissance and rescue flights to the hard-hit Hawke’s Bay area, finding families, pets and workmates clustered on sodden zinc rooftops — surrounded by a sea of murky, debris-filled floodwater.

A sailor is rescued from a catamaran near the Northland city of Whangarei. Picture: New Zealand Defence Force / AFP

“In some cases, floodwaters were up to the second storey of homes where people were being rescued,” a military spokesperson said.

The disaster has severed roads, collapsed houses and cut power across a swath of New Zealand’s North Island, home to more than three-quarters of the country’s five million residents.

Flooding in the city of Napier, situated on the North Island's east coast. Picture: AFP

“The devastation is widespread and has taken a toll beyond property and livelihoods to people,” New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said, adding there were 1400 reports of people “uncontactable” due to downed mobile phone networks.

“We expect the vast majority of these people will be accounted for,” Mr Hipkins said, “but there are several people missing for whom police hold grave concerns.”

Brookfields Bridge washed away near Napier. Picture; AFP

POWER OUT, RESIDENTS HOMELESS

Emergency minister Kieran McAnulty indicated that around 10,500 people had been displaced. Officials estimate 160,000 households are still without power.

McAnulty hailed the “phenomenal” efforts of rescue workers and military personnel who plucked “roughly 300 people from rooftops” in Hawke’s Bay - a sprawling expanse of lush farmland, rugged mountains and hard-to-reach towns.

Flooding near the city of Napier, situated on the North Island's east coast. Picture: AFP

He said a group of 60 people were rescued from one large building marooned by floodwaters.

Aerial images from the area showed a once-bucolic landscape riven with torrents of floodwater, latticed with crumbling roads and scarred by massive landslides.

An aerial photo shows flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in Awatoto, near the city of Napier. Picture: AFP

Authorities on Tuesday announced a national state of emergency for only the third time in the country’s history. The other two were for the 2019 Christchurch attacks and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cyclone Gabrielle formed off the northeastern coast of Australia in the Coral Sea on February 8, before barrelling across the South Pacific.

The Waiohiki bridge and surrounds are inundated by the Tutaekuri River near the city of Napier. Picture: AFP

It bore down on New Zealand’s northern coast on Sunday, bringing gusts of 140km an hour.

Over the next 24 hours, coastal communities were doused with 20cm of rain and pounded by 11-metre waves.

Stranded people being air lifted from their rooftop by a military helicopter in the Esk Valley, near the North Island city of Napier. Picture: AFP

Many parts of northern New Zealand were already waterlogged when Cyclone Gabrielle hit, having been drenched by record rainfall two weeks ago.

Scientists say Gabrielle had fed off unusually warm seas, driven by a combination of climate change and La Nina weather patterns.

Aerial images show a horse trapped on a roof after flooding in Hawke's Bay. Supplied

FLIGHTS DELAYED

Air NZ began restoring some services out of Auckland on Tuesday after an earlier shut down, after the worst of the weather passed.

About 20,000 domestic passengers had been disrupted and would be rebooked within the next few days, with 10,000 international passengers potentially waiting up to 19 days to get a new flight.

Surfers head out into large waves and rough seas from Cyclone Gabrielle at Goat Island Marine Reserve in Auckland, New Zealand. Picture: Getty Images

Those wait times involved people at the bottom of the wait list – but Air NZ Chief Executive Greg Foran said passengers who faced similar delays after January’s record breaking floods were put on earlier flights than initially expected.

To help clear the backlog, Air NZ is putting on bigger planes for some routes and working with partner airlines to set up recovery flights.

Affected passengers are being notified of new bookings.

Air New Zealand said on Tuesday it has added 11 extra domestic flights to the schedule today to help with recovery efforts with more to come.

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Originally published as Cyclone Gabrielle death toll climbs in New Zealand amid new storm warning