Midday Report

The devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle is becoming clearer, but there are communities that are still isolated.

Two have died in Hawke's Bay, and Fire and Emergency has confirmed a body has been found in the search for a firefighter who was trapped in a collapsed Muriwai house after a landslide on Monday night. 

Max Towle reports.

And it's still unknown when the search can resume for a firefighter trapped under a collapsed house in Muriwai. A Muriwai volunteer crew was at a Motutara Road house when a landslide hit. Our reporter Jonty Dine has just been in Muriwai.

Hundreds of people in the West Auckland community of Muriwai are yet to return to their homes after landslides brought two houses down. Nikita Tremain woke up to a call from her mother around 6 this morning, telling her about the evacuation orders overnight on her street. And so, in the cover of darkness, she headed for the local evacuation centre at the Surf Lifesaving Club on foot, with nothing but her phone and a head torch. Many of the roads were impassable, but she managed to weave through some local walkways and hitch a ride too.

News from the rural farming sector

The White Ferns captain Sophie Devine has labelled this heavy defeat to hosts South Africa at the T20 Cricket World Cup as "embarrassing".

News from the business sector.

As Cyclone Gabrielle lashes much of the country, Hawke's Bay is one of the worst-impacted areas. Taradale, Omahu, Waiohiki, Jervoistown and Meeanee residents were asked to evacuate shortly before 11 o'clock, following urgent evacuations in Eskdale earlier in the morning. Communications to the region are internittent at best -- Napier mayor Kirsten Wise is with us now.

In Gisborne, there has been extensive flooding, causing evacuations and the loss of city's water supply. Heavy machinery is being brought into remove woody debris from two bridges in Gisborne which are critical transport routes and carry vital utilities for the region. Communications are also extremeley difficult, due to the phone lines and internet being down. But joining us now via sattelite phone from Gisborne is our reporter, Kate Green.

A state of national emergency has been declared as Cyclone Gabrielle continues to cause destruction across the te ika a Maui - the North Island. The declaration, signed at 8.43am, applies to Northland, Auckland, Tairawhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Hawke's Bay, and gives the National Emergency Management Agency the power to step in and provide additional support and logistics to local civil defence organisations. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes which are at risk of flooding, slips and other damage due to strong winds and rainfall. Power is out across many parts of the North Island and dozens of roads are closed - with towns cut off, bridges washed away and river banks burst. The east coast and Hawkes Bay are paticularly hard-hit, with extremely limited communication due to two major damaged fibre lines, cell towers down because of no power. It is unknown when they will be repaired and back online. People are being asked to conserve water - limiting to hygiene and drinking water only. National Emergency Management is telling people to put safety first, don't take any chances, and to head to higher ground if you see rising water. The Minister for Emergency Management, Kieran McAnulty joins Midday Report to discuss the situation.

Tairāwhiti declared a local state of emergency this morning, ahead of being hit by Cyclone Gabrielle's worst impacts.

Officials are concerned about the effects of damaging storm swells and heavy rain combining at high tide overnight, urging affected locals to evacuate before nightfall.

RNZ reporter Kate Green was in Tairāwhiti and spoke to Māni Dunlop.