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Gita: State of emergency as storm hits New Zealand Gita: Ex-cyclone brings damage and flooding to New Zealand
(about 13 hours later)
The city of Christchurch and several other districts on New Zealand's South Island have declared a state of emergency after being hit by the remnants of Cyclone Gita. New Zealand has begun cleaning up after being hit by the remnants of Cyclone Gita, which damaged buildings and left thousands without power.
Dozens of schools have been shut and roads closed in the South Island as the storm made landfall on Tuesday. Four regions across the country remain in a state of emergency, though the status has been lifted for the city of Christchurch.
Air New Zealand has cancelled all flights in and out of the capital, Wellington, in the North Island. Up to 1,000 people are still stranded in Golden Bay on the South Island due to flooding.
Residents were told to expect floods and winds of up to 150km/h (90mph). Authorities say they may send ferries to pick them up.
The Grey District, Buller District and Nelson Tasman are among the regions in the South Island to have declared a state of emergency, as has Taranaki in the North Island. But Christchurch has largely escaped flooding, having received about half the amount of rain originally forecast.
"The full impact of the storm will be felt overnight and tomorrow morning," said Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel. "We were lucky this time," said Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, who lifted the state of emergency at 11:00 local time on Wednesday (2200 GMT on Tuesday).
She urged residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, saying: "We are expecting homes to be flooded." Numerous roads still remain closed across the country as repair efforts begin.
The Buller District Mayor Garry Howard said he expected high seas and strong winds in the West Coast region. "This is not a good situation for those in seafront properties," he said. Nelson Tasman, Selywn and Westland on the South Island and New Plymouth on the North Island remain in a state of emergency.
Gita, which was downgraded on Tuesday from a tropical cyclone to a storm, is already causing flooding in parts of the South Island with waves up to 7m (22ft) high. A state of emergency gives extra powers to police and the army to take control of a situation if necessary during disasters.
Gita, which was downgraded on Tuesday from a tropical cyclone to a storm, brought coastal waves of up to 7m (22ft).
It split in two systems as it moved across the country.
Community halls in Christchurch and other districts are providing shelter for those affected by the weather.Community halls in Christchurch and other districts are providing shelter for those affected by the weather.
Several tourists reportedly had to be rescued by authorities after becoming stranded on roads near Whataroa, the New Zealand Herald reports. Around 40 Chinese tourists were also trapped in the South Island town of Whataroa and had to spend the night in their buses after roads were closed due to unsafe conditions.
Footage published on local news websites showed powerful winds slamming the West Coast on Tuesday afternoon, damaging properties. Dozens of schools and remained closed on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, trucks delivered sand to the areas at risk of flooding with residents queuing to fill bags to stack around their homes in the hope of protecting their belongings. Footage on local news websites showed powerful winds slamming the west coast on Tuesday afternoon, damaging properties.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said earlier that troops had also been sent out to areas that were likely to be hardest hit by the storm. She added that the national Civil Defence office in Wellington were also on standby. Trucks delivered sand to the areas at risk of flooding with residents queuing to fill bags to stack around their homes in the hope of protecting their belongings.
"My message still to people is please look out for your local warnings and expect disruption to travel and please just be careful," she told reporters at parliament.
Gita last week left a trail of destruction in the Pacific island nations of Tonga and Fiji.Gita last week left a trail of destruction in the Pacific island nations of Tonga and Fiji.
Tonga in particular is reeling from the storm, which injured people and destroyed buildings including the parliament.Tonga in particular is reeling from the storm, which injured people and destroyed buildings including the parliament.