Dr Malini Yugendran
11 February 2023
Cyclone Gabrielle is approaching New Zealand and it is still unclear which regions will be the worst hit. The storm is expected to track across Northland on Sunday and then move south to Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Gisborne on Monday and Tuesday. The government has issued warnings of strong winds, heavy rain, and big seas and upgraded the storm to a category 3. In preparation for the potential impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. The New Zealand government is advising residents to take necessary precautions and to avoid non-essential travel.
Sandbag Shortage in Auckland
In Auckland, residents are taking action to protect their properties from the potential impact of the storm. However, the city’s three sandbag stations have run out of bags, and residents are being asked to bring their own containers for sand. Lines have also formed outside of several Auckland supermarkets as people stock up on essential supplies. The Westcity Countdown was fast running out of drinking water as of 11 am. And Warehouse had only a few LED torchlights left on the shelves.
Preparation Tips for Natural Disasters
To help residents prepare for the potential impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, the government has issued the following instructions:
- Stock up on essential supplies such as food, water, and medicine.
- Consider specific needs like hearing aids, contact lenses, sanitary items, and baby items.
- Create a grab bag with essentials for 3 days in case of evacuation.
- Check insurance coverage for home and car.
- Prepare tech for emergency, including a charger and power bank.
- Make a list of potential projectiles to secure or bring inside during a storm.
- Document belongings for insurance purposes.
- Know how to turn off water, electricity, and gas.
- Move valuable items and important documents to high places in the house.
- Make a plan for pets, including transportation, food, and identification.
- Power outage and water storage
The government is advising residents to be prepared for possible power outages and to stock three days’ worth of food and water. St John Ambulance is also scaling up in preparation for the storm, with extra ambulances and four-wheel-drive vehicles on the ground.
Emergency Contact Information
In the case of an emergency, residents can contact St John Ambulance at 111.
- Follow Auckland Emergency Management on Facebook for regular updates: or visit their website: Auckland Emergency Management
- Follow Civil Defence Northland’s Facebook page for updates about the Northland region
- Follow Ministry for Ethnic Communities Facebook page for regular updates.
- For travel advice visit the Waka Kotahi website.
- For weather updates, visit the MetService website
Dr Malini Yugendran is an Indian Newslink Reporter based in Auckland.
