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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/13/cyclone-gabrielle-new-zealand-declares-national-state-of-emergency>
"New Zealand is in a national state of emergency, as Cyclone Gabrielle batters
the country, with floods trapping people on roofs, thousands displaced and
landslides destroying homes in what officials have described as an
“unprecedented” natural disaster.
“Cyclone Gabrielle is the most significant weather event New Zealand has seen
in this century. The severity and the damage that we are seeing has not been
experienced in a generation,” the prime minister, Chris Hipkins, said on
Tuesday. “We are still building a picture of the effects of the cyclone as it
continues to unfold. But what we do know is the impact is significant and it is
widespread.”
About 2,500 people have been displaced so far, officials said on Tuesday
afternoon – but that number may shift, as there are still large areas that are
unreachable and cut off from telecommunications.
The country announced a national state of emergency on Tuesday as the scale of
damage inflicted by the storm emerged.
The emergency management minister, Kieran McAnulty, said Gabrielle was “an
unprecedented weather event”.
It is only the third time in New Zealand’s history that a national state of
emergency has been declared. The designation means the national government can
send resources across the country to bolster civil defence efforts."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
