About 11 army trucks have arrived at the Hastings Sports Centres, Hawke’s Bay, where about 9000 people were displaced as a result of floodwaters and damage from Cyclone Gabrielle.<\/p>\n
RNZ’s reporter on the ground understands there are about 90 people on board the trucks that have come from another evacuation centre in the region. The evacuees include children and elder people, who are carrying their belongings, and washing baskets full of blankets and supplies.<\/p>\n
With ongoing power outages and patchy service, Hawke’s Bay residents are trying to reconnect with their missing loved ones.<\/p>\n
Authorities have had difficulties reaching relevant officials on the ground as communication went out to many places on Tuesday when Cyclone Gabrielle’s wreaked havoc in the region.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people have posted on social media looking for information about family and friends.<\/p>\n
People looking for loved ones can also log a “Person Inquired For” request via the police website or call police on 105.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Education says schools in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay will be closed for the rest of the week, unless parents specifically hear from their school that it is open.<\/p>\n
Defence Force, rescue services and private operators have\u00a0rescued hundreds of people<\/a>\u00a0in Hawke’s Bay, where floodwaters rose up to rooftops and two people died.<\/p>\n Power is now mostly back on in the northern Hawke’s Bay town of Wairoa but its 8000 residents have no phone service,\u00a0only one day’s worth of food<\/a>\u00a0and enough drinking water for two days, after the Wairoa River burst its banks.<\/p>\n An air force plane will fly over the town today to assess the damage.<\/p>\n Thousands of people are out of their homes in other areas from Tair\u0101whiti to Hawke’s Bay and Tararua on the eastern coast, and Dargaville, Muriwai, Piha and Karekare in the west.<\/p>\n