Ōpōtiki Mayor, David Moore has declared a state of emergency for the Ōpōtiki district this morning [shortly before 8am, Monday 13 February 2023].

The mayor explained that the declaration was done early given the district’s unique situation – long coastlines, vulnerable roads and history of issues in extreme weather events.

“This morning is our window of relative calm to prepare. We want to use all our powers to be as prepared as possible for Cyclone Gabrielle and be able to save lives and get resources to deal with the impacts.

"This declaration will allow our people doing the mahi on the ground to do things like close off areas, evacuate people and get the resources we need as soon as we need them.

“We haven’t taken this action lightly, but we are also making sure we act earlier rather than too late. With high tide around 1:30am Tuesday, and the worst of the cyclone sitting right off our coast at the same time, we need to make sure no one is scrambling in the dark, trying to leave at the worst possible time.

“We have around 200km of tricky coastline to consider. Because of our scattered communities and more remote areas, we want to be prepared and take the daylight hours to contact those likely to be impacted. We are working with the regional council to prepare detailed maps of these areas so we can contact properties and communities directly with that information,” Mayor Moore said.

The Mayor also noted that evacuation centres are being set up and would be ready to go if and when they were needed. If people are asked to evacuate, in the first instance they should find their way to friends and family further inland. But if not, the evacuation centres will be available. The civil defence teams will be sharing details on that later this morning if they are needed.

The Mayors also reiterated that, if asked, people should leave as soon as told to do so by authorities or any time they feel unsafe.

“You don’t need to wait for an official warning – if you feel unsafe, prepare yourself and your whānau and head to somewhere safe for a couple of nights. Make that plan now and actually call friends and family so they know you might be knocking on their door. Don’t leave it a hypothetical plan – make it concrete. Know where you are going and what you are taking.

“Look out for each other. Check in with friends and neighbours and make contact if you have any concerns. We know this is a really stressful time so please support each other, stay up to date with the latest news and information as well,” Mayor Moore said.

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