New Zealand’s prime minister says the weather event Cyclone Gabrielle is not one that has been seen in a generation. The third state of emergency in New Zealand’s history has been called as a result of the damage caused by the storm. Approximately a third of the country’s population live in areas affected by the storm.
People were forced to swim from their homes or were rescued from rooftops, causing many people ot be displaced. A quarter of a million people are without power, houses have been crushed by trees and carried away by landslides. The storm’s damage was most extensive in coastal communities on the north and east coast of the North Island. Australia and the UK have pledged to help with the damage and relief efforts.
Read More: New Zealand declares national state of emergency over Cyclone Gabrielle
