Police have confirmed that nine people have been killed as communities continue to reel from Cyclone Gabrielle and the devastation wrought by the most destructive weather event "this century".
4928 people remain unaccounted for, authorities say, and police have "heightened concerns" for around 10 of those.
Concerns over food, water, power, and damage remain concentrated on the ground on the East Coast and in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.
The settlement community is scrambling to salvage precious taonga. (Source: 1News)
Roger Ball, director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said fuelling Wairoa is a priority.
A BP spokesperson confirmed to 1News their distributor delivered two trucks of predominately diesel and a small quantity of 91 fuel to Wairoa earlier today in conjunction with civil defence.
There is also major damage and road closures in Northland and Coromandel.
Neither Napier or Ruatoria escaped the floods. (Source: 1News)
Ball said they've made contact with 90% of isolated communities in Gisborne and are aiming to reach 100% by the end of the day.
In the Hawke's Bay, 90% of cell towers are back to being operational. 100% are operational in Northland and only 30% in Gisborne region, although this continues to be a focus, Ball said.
Major state highway closures on North island. Get the latest here
In Napier, some power has been restored for residents, but there continue to be widespread outages in the region.
It comes as Vodafone CEO Jason Paris said on Twitter that generators have been stolen from the provider's mobile sites, taking connectivity down after they have it up and running.
"The police are patrolling the sites & most of our @vodaphone NZ generators are GPS tracked, so we know who the perpetrators are."
Many are still without power, cellphone coverage is patchy, while there’s been tension at the petrol pumps. (Source: 1News)
Meanwhile, in Auckland, some rural parts of the city - including Piha and Muriwai - remain under the threat of further landslips, with some residents ordered to evacuate yesterday.
Many in the area still have limited access to food, water and electricity. (Source: 1News)
Auckland Emergency Management has urged people to stay away from the west coast beaches, as well as Karekare and Te Henga Bethells, if they are not residents: "We want Aucklanders to stay safe and ensure emergency crews and response teams can access these communities to provide all the support they need."
And a GNS Science spokesperson added that there "will be tens of thousands of landslides" as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle: "The atmospheric river that drenched Nelson and Marlborough late last year generated more than 4000 landslides, and the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016 caused nearly 30,000 slips.
"This event will have caused significantly more than that."
READ MORE: Cyclone Gabrielle: How to help and find help
Authorities have warned that rumours and false information is being spread on social media about the cyclone recovery.
Officials say to only rely on information from official and authoritative sources.
Nine killed, death toll expected to increase
Gabrielle's death toll is expected to increase over the coming days.
In a 10am update, police confirmed that another person in the Hawke's Bay has died.
"The person is believed to have died in circumstances related to Cyclone Gabrielle. Further details will be provided when they become available," a spokesperson said.
The death toll of people killed as a result of the cyclone is now at nine, as a result of flooding and landslips.
1News reporter Kim Baker Wilson spoke from the town of Clive, halfway between Napier and Hastings. (Source: Breakfast)
The most recent death is reportedly the father of former NRL champion and Kiwi star Issac Luke. "See you soon, dad. I love you," he said on Instagram.
READ MORE: Former Kiwis star Issac Luke's dad killed in cyclone - report
Police told 1News last night that it needed to follow official coroner and notification processes before confirming any further increases to the death toll.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday that people need to be prepared that there will be more deaths but that there were false rumours being spread on social media.
The inland Hawke’s Bay town was one of the worst hit areas. (Source: 1News)
READ MORE: Temporary morgues in Hawke's Bay as death toll expected to rise
"It’s not like I’m aware that there are lots and lots and lots out there that we’re not reporting. We’re still picking up one or two [fatalities] at a time," he said.
“We will certainly share that information as soon as we can, but I have heard some outlandish claims out there at the moment that there is no evidence to support.”
Many communities remain cut-off
Many rural communities remain cut off around Gisborne, Napier, and Hastings.
They have few possessions and a lot of mouths to feed. (Source: 1News)
Thousands haven't been able to be contacted, PM Hipkins said yesterday.
"A team of 80 people are working now to narrow down this list as quickly as possible and to prioritise contact with those who are most likely to be missing," he said.
Deputy Police Commissioner Glen Dunbar confirmed at 1pm today that the latest number of uncontacted people was 4928, although police are working to match these reports with 885 who are registered as safe.
READ MORE: Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke's Bay: 'I'd call it an apocalypse basically'
Hawke's Bay Civil Defence controller Ian Macdonald told media yesterday that there were still whole "tens and maybe hundreds" of communities that haven't been reached by authorities.
"Communities can be anything from a thousand people in one community at the back of Rissington through to just tens of people or just a few people," he said.
READ MORE: Flooded cemetery exposes graves, bones in Hawke's Bay town Omahu
Focus is on clean water - Gisborne's Mayor
Hundreds are still without water or power in Gisborne and the region's mayor says the clean-up hasn't even begun, RNZ reports.
The town’s water treatment plant failed on Friday, leaving many feeling helpless. (Source: 1News)
Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz says they're still trying to get the water plant up and running.
Tairāwhiti has been one of the worst-hit regions in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle and Stoltz says they're just trying to make sure residents are safe.
She says repairing the water plant, auxiliary water plant and State Highway 2 are among the highest priorities for the area.
To help with recovery efforts, additional police officers will be arriving in Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay today and Sunday.
They have few possessions and a lot of mouths to feed. (Source: 1News)
They say while the worst of the weather has passed, the regions still face significant and potentially life-threatening challenges.
Many rivers remain flooded with water levels dangerously high and police say people should stay away and not put themselves at risk.
READ MORE: Forestry slash has destroyed Tairāwhiti, who should pick up the bill?
They say many people are worried about family and friends and more than 4500 people have been registered as uncontactable.
The navy's HMNZS Canterbury is also on route to Hawke's Bay to help with relief efforts. The ship will arrive in Lyttleton on Sunday and will likely take fresh water and equipment.
Blue skies across the country as Kiwis make donations
As relief efforts ramp up to help those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, here is some advice on how best you can contribute. (Source: Seven Sharp)
Severe weather has left Aotearoa's shores, but New Zealanders are helping the worst-affected regions to recover. Millions have so far been donated towards the relief effort.
The New Zealand Red Cross has deployed Disaster Welfare and Support Teams across the North Island to support civil defence and emergency management teams.
They are providing equipment such as stretchers, hygiene kits, generators and bedding, as well as emotional support to those who are worst affected.
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