CNN
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Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Saturday that three people have died and at least one is missing as a result of heavy rains that have caused massive flooding and the displacement of thousands in New Zealand.
“The loss of life highlights the scale of this weather event and how quickly it turned into a tragedy,” Hipkins said at a press conference after meeting with emergency services and assessing the damage in Auckland. said in “Obviously it’s going to be a big cleanup.”
He traveled to Whenuapai, north of Auckland, to visit affected communities, CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand reported Saturday.
“This is an unprecedented event,” Hipkins, who took office this week, wrote on Twitter. “We will give you all the support we can.”
Heavy rains and thunderstorms hit New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. Friday was the wettest day on record, with an estimated 240 mm of precipitation, equivalent to a full summer day.
Airport authorities said terminals and roads were affected by widespread flooding. Photos and videos shared on Twitter showed travelers walking through water at the terminal. Officials said thousands of people had camped at the terminal overnight because of the flooding.
Search and rescue teams said they responded to more than 400 weather emergency calls.
The airport resumed domestic flights at 12pm local time on Saturday, with the domestic terminal “open as usual,” the airport said in a social media update.
However, it added that no international flights will be operating at Auckland Airport on Saturday, with no international flights arriving until 7am local time on Sunday.
“Auckland Airport is assessing the damage to the international terminal and has unfortunately determined that international flights cannot operate today,” the airport said on Twitter.
“While this is extremely frustrating, passenger safety is our number one priority,” it said.
The rain then subsided. However, meteorologists say heavy rains are expected to continue for the next few days, although less extreme.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday alongside the Auckland mayor and disaster management officials, Hipkins reiterated the government’s focus on “making sure we help Auckland citizens.”
“There will then be plenty of time to assess the response … but for now our focus is on ensuring that Aucklanders are supported through this,” the prime minister said, adding that the government had responded quickly enough. I said this in the question of whether
Hipkins said he has seen the impact of the rain on communities and said the central government will provide as much support as it can.
He said the government has already made an initial NZD 100,000 (US$64,900) available for affected communities and more funds will become available.
The prime minister also acknowledged that people are coming together to “care for each other” and reiterated the warning that bad weather is coming.
Many events in the city have been canceled, including an Elton John concert.
The singer said he was “absolutely heartbroken” that Friday’s concert could not go ahead.
“I was at the venue and decided to play because the weather forecast I received beforehand was not entirely conclusive,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
Concert promoter Frontier Touring confirmed on Twitter that Saturday’s show has also been canceled.
