Flooded New Zealand braces for more rain

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New Zealand authorities on Monday urged residents in Auckland to stay home if possible ahead of a major rainstorm forecast to hit Tuesday. Auckland officials declared a state of emergency after the city experienced significant flooding. The city this month has received more than 38 percent of its average annual rainfall, according to New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.

How much damage has the storms caused? At least four people have died as a result of flooding and roads are closed across the country’s upper North Island. All Auckland schools will remain closed until February 7, and about 350 people need emergency shelter.

Dig deeper: Read Esther Eaton’s report in WORLD Magazine on how people on both sides of the climate change issue are trying to talk it out.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.