Cyclone Gabrielle’s impact is continuing to be felt as it moves down the Northern part of the North Island. Fire and Emergency is being kept extremely busy with the Cyclone affecting a growing number of areas. We have lost radio and cellular contact with our people on the ground in Tairawhiti and are working to regain contact by other means.

Fire and Emergency logged 55 storm-related incidents in one hour from 3-4am, bringing the total for the previous 12 hours to 867 (note that this is a rolling 12-hour period).

Of the 55 incidents logged between 3-4am, 9 are in Northland, 12 in Auckland, 12 in Waikato, 3 in Bay of Plenty and 19 in Hawke’s Bay.

Fire and Emergency is prioritising the response to calls where life and safety is at risk. Currently these include:

• a person trapped in a car in Whangarei
• trees down, a house fire, power lines on fire and assistance with evacuations in Kaipara District
• flooding, houses slipping down banks, doors blown in and trees down in Auckland
• flooding affecting properties in Thames-Coromandel District
• flooding and a tree onto a house in Waikato
• burst culvert in Matamata-Piako District
• a tree down on a house in Rotorua
• sparking power lines in Taupo
• assistance with evacuations in Gisborne
• flooding and evacuations in Hastings

Fire and Emergency’s Auckland Response Manager Vaughan Mackereth is reiterating requests that people only call 111 when life and safety are at risk to ensure people who urgently need help can get through to our communications centre.

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