New Zealand floods force evacuations after Tropical Storm Debbie

The entire town of Edgecumbe on New Zealand’s North Island has been evacuated, after severe flooding.

About 600 homes and 2,000 people are affected, as tractors and boats help take locals to safety.

The rain, caused by tropical storm Debbie which hit Australia a week ago as a cyclone, has caused a river to burst its banks.

Meteorologists have described the extreme weather in both countries as a once-in-500-years event.

Heavy storms are also hitting New Zealand’s South Island.

In Edgecumbe the water is said to be as high as 2m (6.5ft) in some areas. Police say they will patrol the evacuated areas and have erected barriers to prevent residents from returning.

Police are searching for one man believed missing in floodwaters near the swollen Waikato river.

Image captionResidents have been told not to attempt to return until the floodwaters have subsided

Parts of the Bay of Plenty area received up to 250mm of rain in the last 36 hours, the New Zealand Herald reported.

“We had to evacuate, (the) house is totally flooded now. We’re not sure how bad it’s going to get,” one resident told Reuters news agency.

Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett told reporters that the authorities’ message to affected residents was: “Get out and stay out.”

Image captionWaters are reported to be almost 2m high in some parts of Edgecumbe

Kaikoura, the town cut off from the outside world by an earthquake in November, was once again isolated as landslides blocked roads.

Rainfall has eased across most of New Zealand’s North Island. But on the other end of the former Cyclone Debbie, in Australia, severe flooding hit the town of Rockhampton, inundating hundreds of homes.

The category four cyclone has left at least six people dead.

Courtesy : bbc