The New Zealand government declared a state of emergency on Tuesday across the archipelago hit by a violent cyclone which deprived 225,000 people of electricity and caused floods and landslides.
Strong winds and heavy rainfall battered Monday night into Tuesday on the North Island, home to more than three-quarters of the country's five million people when Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said "the most significant weather event to occur in New Zealand this century".
"The consequences are significant and are widespread," he said. "The severity and damage we are seeing has not been seen in a generation."
Houses were damaged by falling trees or invaded by mud and rubbish. Some inhabitants thus found themselves totally isolated, the roads being cut following landslides or floods.
According to local media, people had to swim from their homes. Some had to walk through flooded streets, others were forced to shelter in place.
"During the night, a huge tree fell in front of our house, right next to my (vehicle). It blocked the road and we couldn't leave," Bredon Pugh, 53, told AFP. resident of Whangamata (north).
"It was scary, I'm a former coastguard but I've never seen anything like it in my 20 years here," he said.
"The water at (the) road was up to my shins," continued Bredon Pugh, "we were without electricity from 10:00 p.m. until about 3:00 p.m. and we had no internet".
This cyclone brought wind gusts of up to 140 km / h, a cumulative rainfall of up to 20 cm in 24 hours and waves of eleven meters.
At least 2,500 people had to evacuate their homes, Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty said.
Several areas are inaccessible by road and without electricity or telecommunications. 225,000 people do not have access to electricity, according to energy suppliers and the government.
The main road linking the capital Wellington to Auckland, the country's largest city, is closed.
Soldiers were deployed to assist with evacuations.
“This is unprecedented bad weather that is having a huge impact” in the north of the country, Mr McAnulty said, with “large-scale flooding, landslides, damaged roads and other infrastructure”.
This is only the third time New Zealand has declared a state of emergency, following the Christchurch bombings in 2019 and the Covid outbreak in 2020.
"This is a major disaster (which poses) a real threat to the lives of New Zealanders," McAnulty warned, adding that a national state of emergency was declared for seven days.
He said further rains and strong winds are expected on Tuesday, complicating relief operations.
"Emergency services are working day and night, but unstable ground, flood waters and closed roads complicate matters," McAnulty said.
A firefighter is missing and another is in critical condition after a house collapsed in West Auckland, according to the fire and rescue services.
The cyclone grounded planes and the airline Air New Zealand said the movements of some 35,000 of its international customers were disrupted, with more than 600 flights canceled. However, airports are gradually reopening.
Mr Hipkins has pledged NZ$11.5m (€6.8m) to help with repairs.
Auckland, which has a population of 1.6 million, is barely recovering from flash floods that killed four people in late January and forced thousands from their homes.
According to New Zealand meteorological organization MetService, Auckland Airport has recorded 48% of its annual rainfall in the last 45 days.
New Zealand has entered an era of "cascading natural disasters, fueled by climate change", which sees the consequences of repeated severe weather events build up over time, according to disaster reduction specialist Christine Kenney. risks at Massey University.
02/14/2023 08:47:35 - Auckland (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
