Cyclone Gabrielle: Information for the Public
16 February 2023
This page will be updated with information about your safety in Cyclone Gabrielle as the situation develops.
For this event, regular updates will also be shared on our national Facebook page - Fire and Emergency New Zealand. More information is also available on the New Zealand Civil Defence website and the NZ Civil Defence Facebook page.
You can find your local Civil Defence group here.
Fire safety messaging for people affected by power outages.
During a power outage it is important to be aware of the additional fire risks in your home.
Candles and oil lamps
We recommend using torches and battery powered devices wherever possible to reduce risk and avoid the use of candles and oil lamps. If you don’t have access to torches, or they run out of battery, be mindful of the risks candles pose to your home.
- Always place them on a heat-resistant surface and firmly in a holder.
- Keep them away from anything that could catch fire like curtains, furniture or clothing.
- Keep them out of the reach of children and pets.
- Put them out before you leave a room and before you go to bed.
Gas Stove tops
- Don’t leave the room when cooking. If you have to, always turn off the stove first. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of house fires in New Zealand.
- Keep curtains, tea towels, oven mitts and any flammable items well away from the cooking area when you're cooking.
Gas cookers
- Don’t leave the room when cooking. If you have to, always turn off the gas cooker first. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of house fires in New Zealand.
- Place it on a flat, stable, heat-resistant surface and make sure you are in an open, well-ventilated room.
- Keep curtains, tea towels, oven mitts and other flammable items well away from the cooking area.
BBQ's, generators and patio heaters
- Make sure you use BBQ's, generators and patio heaters outside, and with adequate ventilation.
Electrical devices
- To prepare for your power coming back on, make sure all light switches, power outlets and cooking appliances are switched off.
- Always check for damage before using, if it is damaged dispose of it safely.
- Charge electronic devices on a hard, flat surface.
Smoke alarms and escape plans
With flooding across the top of the North Island some households may have relatives or friends staying with them.
- Check all your smoke alarms are working. It is important to have one in every bedroom/sleeping area and living room.
- Talk through your escape plan with your household and anyone that may be staying with you. Remember to have two exits and a safe meeting place in case of an emergency.
Also check in on your neighbours if it’s safe to do so.
Previous Updates:
Tuesday 14 February - 11.30AM
Our firefighters continue to work extremely hard in Cyclone-affected areas across the North Island, particularly in efforts to reach people isolated by Cyclone Gabrielle on the East Coast and Hawke’s Bay.
In the past 24 hours, we have received more than 1,700 calls for help related to Cyclone Gabrielle.
For information on staying safe in floodwaters, read this Facebook post from NZ Civil Defence.
Tuesday 14 February - 5AM
Cyclone Gabrielle’s impact is continuing to be felt as it moves down the Northern part of the North Island. Fire and Emergency is being kept extremely busy with the Cyclone affecting a growing number of areas. We have lost radio and cellular contact with our people on the ground in Tairawhiti and are working to regain contact by other means.
Fire and Emergency logged 55 storm-related incidents in one hour from 3-4am, bringing the total for the previous 12 hours to 867 (note that this is a rolling 12-hour period).
Of the 55 incidents logged between 3-4am, 9 are in Northland, 12 in Auckland, 12 in Waikato, 3 in Bay of Plenty and 19 in Hawke’s Bay.
Please remember to call 111 when life and safety are at risk so the people who urgently need help can get through to us.
Tuesday 14 February 2AM
Fire and Emergency is urging people to stay home as an increasing number of trees come down across road due to Cyclone Gabrielle. Fire crews and Urban Search and Rescue teams are continuing to respond to a raft of other calls, including an evolving situation in Muriwai where residents in Motutara and Domain Roads are being evacuated to the local Surf Life Saving Club.
Fire and Emergency logged 59 storm-related incidents in one hour from 12-1am, bringing the total for the previous 12 hours to 779 (note that this is a rolling 12-hour period).
Of the 59 incidents logged between 12-1am, 6 are in Northland, 12 in Auckland, 24 in Waikato, 4 in Bay of Plenty, 2 in Gisborne and 11 in Hawke’s Bay.
Please remember to call 111 when life and safety are at risk so the people who urgently need help can get through to us.
Monday 13 February - 9PM
Fire and Emergency crews are responding to multiple incidents to help people affected by Cyclone Gabrielle across the top of the North Island tonight.
Communications centres logged 90 storm-related incidents from 7-8pm, bringing the total for the previous 12 hours to 472 (note that this is a rolling 12-hour period). This is on top of another 163 calls for fires, vehicle crashes and other incidents unrelated to the storm across the whole country.
Of the 90 incidents logged between 7-8pm, 24 are in Northland, 28 in Auckland, 27 in Waikato, 6 in Bay of Plenty, 2 in Gisborne and 3 in Hawkes Bay
Fire and Emergency is prioritising the response to calls where life and safety is at risk. Currently these include:
- Trees bringing down power lines and blocking roads in the Far North District
- Rescuing people trapped behind downed power lines, and flooded houses in Whangarei
- Roofs lifting from houses in Kaipara District;
- Trees fallen on homes, slips, flooding, rescuing people stuck in lifts in Auckland;
- Roofs lifting, windows blown out and a garden shed being blown around in Thames-Coromandel District;
- Tree fallen on a house in Waipa District
Fire and Emergency’s Auckland Response Manager Vaughan Mackereth is asking people to remember to call 111 when life and safety are at risk, so the people who urgently need help can get through to our communications centres.
Monday 13 February - 6PM
The number of 111 calls is increasing in Northland, Auckland and Coromandel, and we are prioritising the response to calls where life and safety is at risk. In the 12 hours to 5pm, our communications centres logged 305 incidents related to the cyclone, with 41 in the last hour.
Please remember to call 111 when life and safety are at risk so the people who urgently need help can get through to us.
Monday 13 February - 12PM
We are responding to an increasing number of calls for assistance with storm damage, but the worst of the weather is yet to arrive.
If it is safe to do so, prepare now by tying down or putting away items like trampolines and outdoor furniture that can become airborne in high winds.
Do not drive through floodwater. It’s difficult to judge the depth during the daytime and impossible at night.
Please continue to call 111 if life or personal safety is at risk. We are here to help.
Monday 13 February - 9.30AM
Our people have responded to over 200 weather-related incidents since 5pm last night. Most of these have been in Northland and Auckland, with a small number in Waikato.
This is only the beginning of what we know will be a very long storm, so don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. When the wind gets stronger and when the heavy rain starts, we are expecting the number of 111 calls to go up steeply.
Our Communication Centres are ready to answer the calls for help and our crews are ready to respond. Please call 111 if life or personal safety is under threat.
Sunday 12 February
Our people are responding to a slow but steady stream of 111 calls for assistance as winds are strengthening from Northland to the Coromandel and beyond. We have three communications centres across the country, connected by a virtual network which means calls can be answered from anywhere when the workload increases in any particular region.
Crews have responded to 31 calls for help related to the weather between 6am and 4pm today. Most were from Northland but in the last hour the number of calls from Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula have started to increase.
Most of the incidents are related to the winds, with fallen trees affecting property and roofs lifting. One of this morning’s calls was to help an owner secure his caravan from being blown over. There have been at least two calls in Auckland to help property owners when trees have fallen onto houses.
Please call 111 if life or personal safety is under threat. That includes when there is a fire, when people are trapped by floodwater, slips or fallen trees and when people need help to evacuate safely.
Saturday 11 February
We are bringing more specialist and technical resources into the communities most likely to be needing an extra hand during the cyclone. They will be supporting our local fire crews to do what they do best – help you when you need us.
Our Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) squads are equipped for light rescue and rapid damage assessments. We are also deploying teams skilled in water rescues, others who work with drones plus paramedics and engineers.
Teams will be based in Kaitaia and Whangarei, Auckland, the Coromandel and Gisborne. Remember – always call 111 straight away if life or safety is at risk.