New images show devastation of New Zealand due to cyclone, declares national emergency
New Zealand drowned
Residents in hard-hit areas are now being asked to conserve water and food because of fears of shortages after the cyclone forced New Zealand on Tuesday to declare a national state of emergency for only the third time in its history.
Hipkins confirmed on Wednesday four people had died including a volunteer firefighter who responded to a call out and was caught in a landslide on Monday.
With around 1,400 people unaccounted for since the cyclone crisis began, Hipkins said roughly 1,100 have been reported found and there is likely to be considerable crossover between the two lists.
The country faces its second major storm
Parts of New Zealand's North Island, where about 75 per cent of the country's 5 million residents live, are enduring their second major storm in as many weeks. Record rains last month triggered flash floods in Auckland and four people lost their lives then.
Authorities estimate more than 9,000 people have been displaced so far, with around 3,000 housed in temporary shelters.
Evacuation Continue
Meteorological service WeatherWatch said Cyclone Gabrielle is now east of the country and continuing to track away from the North Island with the weather now improving.
Both domestic and international flights have resumed though airline schedules may be disrupted for several days, Auckland Airport said in a tweet on Wednesday morning. Napier Port will be closed until Thursday
However, rivers in Hawke's Bay continue to pose risks and the local emergency management ordered further evacuations early on Wednesday. Electricity is out for around 160,000 customers across the island, down from the peak of 225,000 on Tuesday. Authorities expect that number to improve again on Thursday.
Thousands without power
Defence has deployed over 700 personnel along with four aircraft, seven helicopters and two naval ships to help rescue those stranded by the floods and deliver essential supplies to isolated towns, Hipkins said.
Alysha Haidekker was back assessing the flood damage at her home in badly hit Hawke's Bay on Wednesday. The water has drained away but it has left silt, swollen wood and damaged her new kitchen, wall linings and doors.
'Don't return to your homes'
"Please don't return to your homes until you have been given the all clear to do so," he said, warning that the situation remains dangerous even as the weather improves.
However, he added that police hold "grave concerns" for several missing people.
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