\u201cThese adverse weather events just keep coming at us,\u201d Kitchen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we\u2019re getting more accurate information from Niwa and forecasters.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust acting on that, I\u2019m comfortable going into a declaration. It gives authorities more power.\u201d<\/p>\n
Northland was the first region<\/a> in the country to declare a state of emergency on April 10.<\/p>\n The declaration was made after consultation with local councils and emergency services, and is in place for seven days.<\/p>\n The following day, other regions declared states of emergency, including Waikato, Whakat\u0101ne, Tauranga, \u014cp\u014dtiki, Napier, Hastings and central and regional Hawke\u2019s Bay.<\/p>\n However, Wairoa Mayor Craig Little refused<\/a>, later calling his region\u2019s response \u201cwoke\u201d and saying: \u201cI think it takes away the importance of a state of emergency\u201d.<\/p>\n Kitchen, who spent 57 years in the fire service, said declarations weren\u2019t taken lightly.<\/p>\n \u201cA declaration helps us out; we\u2019re more prepared.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we\u2019re damned if we do and damned if we don\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that thing had have hit us, it could have been like [Cyclone] Bola, and people would have been saying you should have declared.<\/p>\n \u201cAs chairperson, I made that declaration, and I would not hesitate to do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n What is a state of emergency?<\/p>\n A state of emergency<\/a> enables emergency services and Civil Defence staff access to additional powers to manage disasters that overwhelm normal emergency services, threatening life or property.<\/p>\n The most commonly-used emergency powers include:<\/p>\n evacuating premises and placesentering premisesclosing roads and public placesremoving aircraft, vessels, vehicles etc and requisitioning property, equipment, material or supplies. <\/p>\n Of these, enabling evacuations is often the key reason for an emergency declaration.<\/p>\n The state of emergency is in place for an initial period of seven days but can be lifted earlier.<\/p>\n Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesman Zachary Woods said region-wide emergency declarations were relatively rare in Northland.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout a state of emergency, we can suggest people evacuate, but we aren\u2019t able to make people leave.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s putting the powers of preparation in place in case they\u2019re needed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d rather have them and not need them … than need them and not have them.\u201d<\/p>\n Woods said there was a strong case put forward by forecasters including MetService \u201cthat the cyclone could have a severe impact on our region\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was definitely an imminent threat that was there.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had two red warnings this year, and the ground is saturated … to underestimate the impact could have had dangerous implications for our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Can we expect more states of emergency?<\/p>\n Two states of emergency were declared in Northland in 2023; in January as a precautionary step ahead of severe weather, and in February as Cyclone Gabrielle<\/a> began to flood roads and damage properties.<\/p>\n Before that, the region had only had five since 1973.<\/p>\n