Defence Force and police descend on cyclone’s devastation in Hawke’s Bay

A New Zealand Defence Force image taken from the air. Photo / NZDF

Two people have been reported dead and hundreds of people have now been rescued by emergency services, including the New Zealand Defence Force, amid Cyclone Gabrielle’s war on Hawke’s Bay.

The two who have died are a woman whose home was hit by a falling bank in the vicinity of Putorino, the halfway point on State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa, and a person whose body was found on a beach near Bay View, also north of Napier. The devastation has hit many parts of the province, from Wairoa in the north to the Tararua district in the south.

Those rescued include a group of seasonal workers stranded by floodwaters, rescued near Hastings by personnel from the New Zealand Army and New Zealand Police using four Unimog trucks on Tuesday, according to a New Zealand Defence Force media release.

An Air Force rescue in progress. Photo / NZDF

Also yesterday, crew on three Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopters rescued 23 people and five dogs, including by winching people off roofs of houses. Two pallets of medical supplies were also delivered to a medical centre in Napier.

Rescues have taken place over a wide area, including in Esk Valley north of Napier, where homes have been completely submerged in sometimes raging torrents, but the devastation was repeated through the province.

In some cases, floodwaters were up to the second storey of homes people were being rescued from, and Army and Air Force teams were still working on rescues today.

NZ Army Second Lieutenant Judge Gregory said the teams rescued about 50 to 60 people and they were grateful to be picked up.

“The floodwater was waist-high, but the Unimog tyres and massive clearance meant we were able to get into the elevated areas needed to reach the seasonal workers.”

Earlier on Tuesday when water banks burst, the agricultural landscape surrounding Hastings became flooded, leaving hundreds cut off from town.

“We were sent to support those areas and evacuate families trapped in homes,” he said.

Overall, the NZ Army teams had rescued about 200 people, with that number still climbing. At one stage, it was reported 97 rescue teams were in action.

In Hastings, the NZ Army were operating with seven Unimogs, and a police officer was allocated to each truck to help with navigation and traffic control.

Police determined high-priority areas for the New Zealand Defence Force to respond to.

Second Lieutenant Gregory said people they rescued were glad to see them.

“Heaps of waves and smiles, but there’s quite a bit of heartbreak when we are driving past,” he said. “When we pick up people, they are pretty grateful.”