It is man versus nature situation. Earlier, the prime Minister of New Zealand, Chris Hipkins, declares a state of emergency due to Cyclone Gabriella hitting the North Island. According to BBC News, at least three people died in the catastrophe.
News reported that the cyclone has weakened and moved away from the North Island. However, many people are still displaced. Some people have no other choice than to leave their houses for safety after rivers burst.
Not only that, the catastrophe has cut off the power supply for about a quarter of a million people. As the power is cut off, communications are too after the river burst tragedy. Trees break and damage the houses, and landslides block the roads.
The areas that were affected the most by Cyclone Gabriella are Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel, and Northland.
The civil defence authorities reveal that they “couldn’t cope” with the massive damage due to the natural disaster. Luckily, Australia and the United Kingdom pledged to help.
Cyclone Gabriella hit the country two weeks after downpours and flooding, which killed four people earlier.
The declaration of a state of emergency in New Zealand does not happen often. The Cyclone Gabriella catastrophe makes it the third. Previously, it was during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Christchurch earthquake.
Source: BBC News