Two other people have been confirmed dead in Hawke’s Bay, a region on the eastern coast of the North Island. Authorities estimate more than 10,000 people have been displaced so far.
Helicopters winched people stuck on rooftops to safety, while military planes will be used to deliver essential supplies to isolated towns, McAnulty said.
EVACUATIONS CONTINUE
Meteorological service WeatherWatch said Cyclone Gabrielle is now east of the country and continuing to track away from the North Island with weather now improving.
Both domestic and international flights have resumed though airline schedules maybe disrupted for several days, Auckland Airport said in a tweet on Wednesday morning.
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 225,000 customers across the island, hampering clean up.
Mother of four Jennie Perris, who lives on a 10-acre (4ha) block of land on the outskirts of Whangarei, about 170km north of Auckland, said the family had been without power since Sunday.
Perris said the roads had cleared on Tuesday and the family had been able to head into the city and shower at her mother’s house, charge devices and stock up on bottled water but it was now back to cooking on the barbecue.
“We’re doing everything on it,” she said.
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