NEW ZEALAND: The government declared a national state of emergency today after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north in what officials described as the most severe weather event in years.

A firefighter was missing and another was rescued but suffered critical injuries after they were caught in a landslide overnight near Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, authorities said.

Intense rainfall overnight forced the evacuation of 2,500 people and brought widespread flooding and road closures.