Articles by Tracy Withers

RBNZ Says Insurance May Become Unaffordable for High-Risk Homes

New Zealanders who own properties in areas prone to flooding or earthquakes may find they can’t afford insurance or may not be offered cover for specific risks, according to the Reserve Bank. Rising premiums or the inability to insure are …

Extreme Weather May Force New Zealand to Rethink Where It Builds: Finance Minister

New Zealand faces big questions about where people should live and how to build infrastructure as the devastating aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle highlights the impact of climate change, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. The cyclone swept across the Upper North …

New Zealand Searches for Missing After Cyclone; Sizable Economic Cost Expected

New Zealand is still searching for people missing in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle amid fears the death toll will continue to climb. Five people are now confirmed dead after the cyclone devastated large areas of the nation’s North Island, …

Cyclone’s Destructive Path Through New Zealand, Killing at Least Four People

Four people are dead and there are concerns for others who are missing on New Zealand’s North Island as emergency services struggle to reach isolated communities in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. The dead include a young person caught in …

Cyclone Gabrielle Leaves Trail of Destruction Across New Zealand’s North Island

Cyclone Gabrielle has started to track away from New Zealand after leaving a trail of destruction across large parts of the nation’s North Island. Some 225,000 homes are without electricity, at least 2,500 people have been evacuated and tens of …

Cyclone Gabrielle Hits New Zealand Leaving Thousands of Homes Without Power

Tens of thousands of homes in northern New Zealand are without electricity as a powerful cyclone begins lashing the South Pacific nation, bringing high winds and intense rainfall. Cyclone Gabrielle is tracking north-east of New Zealand and the center of …

New Zealand Braces for More Flooding From Another Rain Deluge

Auckland is bracing for another rain deluge later Tuesday that threatens more surface flooding and land slips on ground already sodden after a record downpour. New Zealand’s MetService is forecasting that a new weather system will strike the nation’s largest …

Massive Fire Breaks Out at N. Zealand Convention Center Building Site

New Zealand’s flagship international convention center project faces further significant delays as a fire at the central Auckland construction site continues to burn more than 22 hours after breaking out. The fire, which began on Tuesday afternoon, had engulfed the …