NEW ZEALAND LANDSLIDES.

On Thursday, January 22, 2026, catastrophic landslides and flooding struck New Zealand’s North Island following record-breaking rainfall, leaving at least two people dead and several others missing. 

Major Incidents.

• Welcome Bay (Tauranga)
  : A pre-dawn landslide destroyed a home at approximately 4:50 a.m. local time. Emergency workers recovered the bodies of two victims from the rubble.
• Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park
  : Around 9:30 a.m., a massive chunk of earth from Mount Maunganui (an extinct volcano) slid into a crowded campsite. The slide flattened tents, crushed campervans, and buried a shower block.
• Missing Persons: While police have not confirmed a final count, they estimate missing persons at the campsite to be in the "single figures". Reports indicate multiple children are among those unaccounted for.
• Warkworth
  : A 47-year-old man remains missing after his vehicle was swept into the Mahurangi River on Wednesday. 

The Weather Event.

• Record Rainfall: The Tauranga region recorded its wettest day since records began in 1910, receiving approximately 274mm to 295mm of rain in less than 30 hours—the equivalent of three months' worth of precipitation.
• State of Emergency: Local states of emergency were declared in five regions, including Northland, Bay of Plenty, Hauraki, Coromandel, and Tairāwhiti.
• Power & Infrastructure: At the peak of the storm, over 16,000 properties lost power; as of late Thursday, approximately 8,000 remain without electricity. Massive landslides have also cut off several coastal communities, including Ōakura and Whangaruru. 

Search and Rescue Operations.

• Signs of Life: Early responders reported hearing voices from the buried campsite rubble for about 30 minutes before they went silent.
• Ongoing Risks: Search efforts were temporarily halted on Thursday afternoon due to unstable ground and fears of secondary slips, but they are expected to continue through the night using heavy machinery and sniffer dogs.
• Government Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described the situation as a "profound tragedy" and is scheduled to visit the affected areas on Friday, January 23.