Utah
10 missionaries in NZ accounted for and safe; efforts continue to contact Utah missionary and 1 other
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Ten missionaries have made contact with mission leaders in New Zealand after a devastating cyclone smashed the island nation, and efforts are being made to contact two remaining missionaries who’re in an space the place communication has nonetheless not been restored. A kind of two missionaries is from Ogden, Utah.
On Tuesday, Cyclone Gabrielle battered the nation’s North Island in what officers described to the Related Press because the nation’s most extreme climate occasion in many years.
“We’re praying for individuals who have suffered lack of relations, and of property,” stated Elder Okay. Brett Nattress, President of the Pacific Space of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We add to those prayers our serving to fingers, alongside the reduction work of many others, to convey help and hope to these impacted by this cyclone.”
Police stated at the very least 4 individuals had been killed by the storm, together with a baby caught in rising water on Tuesday at Eskdale on Hawke’s Bay. All 4 fatalities occurred close to the identical North Island east coast bay, two in landslides and two by drowning.
A climate station within the Hawke’s Bay area recorded thrice extra rain over Monday night time than normally falls for your entire month of February, authorities stated.
4 missionaries had been evacuated from the Hawke’s Bay space with group members as floodwaters rose quickly. Church officers stated the missionaries spent the night time sheltering within the house of an area Latter-day Saint household.
“We count on that … the 4 elders will probably be again of their space and communications will start to return to regular over the subsequent few days,” Mission President David Thomson of the Church’s’ New Zealand Wellington Mission stated.
“Like most individuals of their space, electrical energy provides have been disrupted, and we don’t count on these to be totally restored for a number of days,” he added. “We’ve got a senior couple serving within the space and they’re making common visits to verify missionaries have meals and different provides. We’re additionally receiving wonderful help from native Latter-day Saint leaders.”
On this picture launched by the New Zealand Protection Drive on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, houses within the Esk Valley, close to Napier, New Zealand, are flooded. The New Zealand authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the nation’s north in what officers described because the nation’s most extreme climate occasion in years. (New Zealand Protection Drive by way of AP)
Reviews point out that an unspecified variety of Church meetinghouses, particularly within the north of the nation and Hawke’s Bay, suffered flooding and different injury.
President Thomson and President Garrick Parr from the New Zealand Auckland Mission reported all missionaries are protected and accounted for.
President Jeffery Nikoia from the New Zealand Hamilton Mission reported efforts are being made to contact two remaining missionaries who’re in an space the place communication has nonetheless not been restored.
President Nikoia was touring to the missionaries with a satellite tv for pc cellphone and hopes to supply an replace to the Church. A number of communities remained remoted Thursday due to telecommunication outages, floods and landslides.