ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
More than 4500 people have been reported as uncontactable after Cyclone Gabrielle, with 900 people found, according to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.
Coster has spoken to media this afternoon at the Hawke's Bay Emergency Management Group Centre in Hastings.
He said the scale of devastation was significant and he was blown away by the work police were doing as they had also been badly affected.
But he said there was no indication that the number of deaths was significantly larger than the seven that have been confirmed so far.
He said there was still a lot of work to do searching homes and if people were found, their family would be contacted first and media told.
Meanwhile, people in Gisborne are being warned to stop using water immediately until further notice.
The Gisborne District Council says the water treatment system has failed.
Council manager Scotty Sharp says people need to "stop all use right now".
"Everything, absolutely everything," he says.
"Critical, it's absolutely critical. We need to get the info out to the public because it's just failed and it's just failed now."
Sharp says the council doesn't know why it's failed, but silt could have overloaded the system.
Gisborne Update
Gisborne District Council says some people in the region's isolated communites have not heard from anyone since Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
It says reconnecting those people is now the focus - and progress is being made. It is sending Starlink satellite connections to rural police stations.
The council says schools plan reopen next week and it is working through what is needed for that to happen.
The Ministry of Education has advised the decision to close or reopen remains that of the individual schools.
A navy vessel has been off Tairawhiti today delivering crucial supplies.
The HMNZS Manawanui brought thousands of litres of water to communities just as they were ordered to cease water use indefinitely.
Captain Commander Yvonne Gray says they will restock in Tauranga tomorrow before returning.
More than 4500 people have been reported as uncontactable after Cyclone Gabrielle, with 900 people found, according to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.
Coster has spoken to media this afternoon at the Hawke's Bay Emergency Management Group Centre in Hastings.
He said the scale of devastation was...
More than 4500 people have been reported as uncontactable after Cyclone Gabrielle, with 900 people found, according to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.
Coster has spoken to media this afternoon at the Hawke's Bay Emergency Management Group Centre in Hastings.
He said the scale of devastation was significant and he was blown away by the work police were doing as they had also been badly affected.
But he said there was no indication that the number of deaths was significantly larger than the seven that have been confirmed so far.
He said there was still a lot of work to do searching homes and if people were found, their family would be contacted first and media told.
Meanwhile, people in Gisborne are being warned to stop using water immediately until further notice.
The Gisborne District Council says the water treatment system has failed.
Council manager Scotty Sharp says people need to "stop all use right now".
"Everything, absolutely everything," he says.
"Critical, it's absolutely critical. We need to get the info out to the public because it's just failed and it's just failed now."
Sharp says the council doesn't know why it's failed, but silt could have overloaded the system.
Gisborne Update
Gisborne District Council says some people in the region's isolated communites have not heard from anyone since Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
It says reconnecting those people is now the focus - and progress is being made. It is sending Starlink satellite connections to rural police stations.
The council says schools plan reopen next week and it is working through what is needed for that to happen.
The Ministry of Education has advised the decision to close or reopen remains that of the individual schools.
A navy vessel has been off Tairawhiti today delivering crucial supplies.
The HMNZS Manawanui brought thousands of litres of water to communities just as they were ordered to cease water use indefinitely.
Captain Commander Yvonne Gray says they will restock in Tauranga tomorrow before returning.
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