A state of emergency was declared in the town of Kaikoura, a whale-watching destination and home to 2,000 people that has been completely cut off. Power has been lost in many small South Island towns and parts of Wellington. The worst-hit areas are the east coast of the South Island. Widespread damage is reported to bridges, infrastructure and buildings in the northern South island. The east coast South Island university town of Dunedin issued a state-of-emergency evacuation notice for its northern and southern beach communities just after 4am.

Source: The Guardian November 13, 2016 19:40 UTC