Authorities said today, Saturday, that the number of people whose fate is still unknown in the aftermath of Hurricane Gabriel, which hit New Zealand almost two weeks ago, has dropped to 13, with overnight heavy rains prompting evacuations on the country’s North Island (North Island ) New Zealand on February 12, causing widespread destruction in the North Island, as well as at least 11 deaths and thousands of homeless people.
The number of people who could not be reached rose to more than 6,000 after the typhoon as communications were cut in many areas, but that number has dropped due to recovery and rescue efforts.
“Contact with the remaining 13 remains a priority for the police and we are working as quickly as possible,” New Zealand Police said in a statement early Saturday.
The emergency management agency said heavy rains in the Hawke’s Bay area, one of the hardest-hit areas in Gabriel, led to new flooding risks in the area where evacuations were ordered.
She added that homes in the Esk Valley area were “empty after the storm, but 26 more families were evacuated yesterday.”
Severe weather has also prompted flash floods and evacuation warnings in and around Auckland, the country’s largest city of about 1.6 million people.
The MetNZ issued a heavy rain warning Saturday for large sections of the North Island’s east coast, including Hawke’s Bay.
