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John Cowpland/Stuff
Stuff photographer John Cowpland is on the ground in Hawke’s Bay. This picture shows the extent of flooding around the Tutaekuri River as residents around Omahu and Taradale, Napier’s largest suburb, are urged to evacuate.
A landslide which hit a home in Hawke’s Bay has left one person trapped and unable to be rescued, Fire and Emergency New Zealand said.
Fire and Emergency acting district manager Glen Varcoe said they were contacted about a landslide at a home in Putorino, 60km north of Napier, at 7.19am on Tuesday.
He said one person was reported as trapped and local brigades had been unable to access the property to carry out a rescue or determine the status of this person.
A local Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team with equipment was deployed by helicopter.
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“Fire and Emergency personnel are currently assessing how widespread the damage is,” Varcoe said.
“It is unclear yet how many houses have been affected. This is an ongoing situation and we are monitoring it closely.”
Mason Baker/Supplied
Tarawera resident Mason Baker ventured out on the SH5 Napier to Taupo road to check the state of the highway. Baker waded through one of two significant slips to advise a couple traveling from Taupō to Napier, to turn around and return to Taupō.
Several people are also reportedly trapped in parts of Puketapu and Esk Valley.
Multiple people had been trapped but since rescued from cars and homes on State Highway 5 in Hawke’s Bay, he said.
Cyclone Gabrielle has caused widespread damage in the North Island, and a national state of emergency has been declared. Power may be out for days, if not weeks, in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne
Fire crews had been to 366 incidents, including rescues, in the 12 hours to midday on Tuesday.
“There are also many houses flooded in Eskdale and Whirinaki which can’t be reached by road at this stage.”
Liz Wilson
Flooding on farmland in Ongaonga, Hawke’s Bay. Cyclone Gabrielle.
Hawke’s Bay farmer Greg Wilson said his property near Ongaonga, had received about 140mm of rain.
The Tukituki River and streams which ran along the farm were the “highest I’ve ever seen”, he said.
Wilson estimated between 15-20 hectares of farmland was under floodwaters but he felt comparatively well-off.
Neighbours to the north had been harder hit with the Waipawa River having broken its bank.
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