More than 4,500 people have yet to be contacted after Cyclone Gabrielle hit on Monday, causing significant flooding and landslides across the North Island. A national state of emergency has been declared, only the third in New Zealand’s history. In other heart-breaking stories, rugby league star Issac Luke lost his father George, who was killed by a landslide on North Island earlier this week. New Zealand announced a national state of emergency on Tuesday, which allows it to streamline its response to the disaster. Cyclone Gabrielle hit New Zealand’s North Island just two weeks after record downpours and flooding in the same region.
