The New Zealand government declared a national state of emergency Tuesday after parts of the country were battered by Cyclone Gabrielle. The storm eased on Tuesday as Gabrielle headed southeast over the ocean, but 225,000 homes and businesses were facing power outages and evacuations were continuing, according to The Associated Press. Weather Station Manufacturers

Photos Of New Zealand After Cyclone Gabrielle Strike | Weather.com

New Zealand's Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, called Cyclone Gabrielle the "most severe weather event of this century." It was only the third time in the country's history that a national emergency had been declared.

(MORE: Cyclone Gabrielle's Power Forces Third National State Of Emergency In New Zealand History)

One firefighter was missing and one was rescued in Auckland with critical injuries after being caught in a landslide caused by Gabrielle's heavy rains, the AP reported.

The worst impacts were seen in northern New Zealand. Intense rainfall swamped the country overnight and forced 2,500 people to evacuate, The New Zealand Herald reported. Record storm surge was reported just east of Auckland, and flooding caused road closures, including the main route between Auckland and New Zealand's capital, Wellington, and left some communities isolated.

A weather station in the Hawke's Bay and Napier region reported that the area received three times more rain overnight Monday into Tuesday than is usually recorded for the entire month of February, according to MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris. Rainfall totals of over a foot were measured in some areas.

The storm comes just two weeks after Auckland experienced a deadly storm that broke the city's record for daily rainfall total and killed four people.

Auckland canceled train services and closed most schools and libraries on Monday, and Air New Zealand canceled all domestic and many international flights into and out of Auckland through Tuesday morning. Flights resumed Tuesday afternoon at Auckland airport, but the next few days are expected to be marred by disruptions and delays, Hipkins said.

Click through the slideshow above to see images of the national emergency in New Zealand and check back for more details.

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New Zealand's Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, called Cyclone Gabrielle the \\\"most severe weather event of this century.\\\" It was only the third time in the country's history that a national emergency had been declared.

(MORE: Cyclone Gabrielle's Power Forces Third National State Of Emergency In New Zealand History)

One firefighter was missing and one was rescued in Auckland with critical injuries after being caught in a landslide caused by Gabrielle's heavy rains, the AP reported.

The storm comes just two weeks after Auckland experienced a deadly storm that broke the city's record for daily rainfall total and killed four people.

Click through the slideshow above to see images of the national emergency in New Zealand and check back for more details.

Flu season is in full swing, and preparation is your key to staying healthy. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, the flu can still strike. If it does, early detection and appropriate responses are essential to treating this draining bug. There's just one problem: How do you know if you actually have the flu?

“There are many infections that could present [themselves] like the flu,” Sherif Mossad, M.D., staff physician in Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Infectious Disease, told weather.com. “Many things in their early stage can be mistaken for the flu, but there are other factors that need to be accounted.”

Dr. Mossad says the only way to know for certain if your sickness is indeed the flu is with a flu test. But then there are also some identifiable signs that could mean you need to see a doctor, and other signs that you likely don’t have the flu.

“Some [similar conditions] occur in the summer, which is an atypical time for influenza to occur in the Northern Hemisphere,” says Dr. Mossad. “In late summer, flu has not circulated yet. Usually it starts in younger people, in schools, in early to mid-fall until April…with the peak coming in late December to late January.”

Signs of the flu start with a simple acronym: FACTS, says Dr. Mossad. The ‘F’ stands for fever.

“Fever would be very high with the flu, but nonexistent with a cold,” said Dr. Mossad.

Of course, a high fever doesn’t automatically mean the flu.

“You can have pneumonia, a severe urinary tract infection, [etc.],” says Dr. Mossad. “All these things can cause high fever, but they have different symptoms.”

If you’re deciding between the flu and a cold, however, a fever means you probably don't have a cold.

Aches are another likely sign that your discomfort is flu-related, and not just a cold.

While this might occur with a cold, the key is that this symptom occurs right away, and not after days of already feeling sick.

“High fever and headaches at the onset of flu are likely symptoms,” says Dr. Mossad.

Dr. Mossad also warns about chills as a likely symptom of the flu.

Because chills can be the result of a fever — a sign not associated with colds — this symptom helps differentiate between a cold and the flu.

Chills, along with a high fever, are signs that you need to see a doctor before your condition worsens, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

That said, if a cold keeps you up at night and disrupts your quality of sleep, you'll likely feel tired as well.

As Dr. Mossad reminds, “there is always some overlap.”

But, like aches and pains, a sudden onset of fatigue is more likely associated with the flu than a cold. Similar to other symptoms that occur with both colds and flu, timing and intensity are important in distinguishing between the two conditions.

Although you might keep the tissues handy if you've been diagnosed with the flu, nasal symptoms, like sneezing, are more connected to a cold.

Make sure to look for thick, yellow or green nasal discharge though. This can be indicative of a more severe, progressive cold, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Even though they sound like opposites, a runny or stuffy nose both point to you having a cold rather than the flu.

While these symptoms might also be present with the flu, other symptoms like a cough and/or fever are much more likely, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Even if you have the worst cold in the world, it probably won’t feel as bad as having the flu. If you aren’t sure which symptoms are exclusive to a cold or the flu, their intensity can be an easy way to tell which condition you have.

If your symptoms appear abruptly with extreme intensity, you likely have the flu. The flu is a serious and deadly condition. So while a cold might feel awful, it won't knock you out the way the flu will.

Flu symptoms are incapacitating and intense, but cold symptoms are better described as uncomfortable and annoying.

A runny nose might not sound like fun, and a sore throat might sound even worse, but it probably wouldn’t stop you from seeing your favorite band in concert. Flu symptoms, on the other hand, could make just getting out of bed feel like a chore.

“Colds are treated with a decongestant or ibuprofen,” says Dr. Mossad. “[And] sore throats can be treated with inhaling vapor.”

These over-the-counter remedies can do wonders for your cold, and help get you through the day. If taking these makes you feel better, you likely don’t have the flu, which usually requires much more intense drugs.

Know your flu risk. Check out the Flu Tracker on The Weather Channel App.

If you’re sniffling, sneezing, wheezing, itchy-eyed and always the first one sick after Labor Day — you’ve probably got fall allergies. Making matters worse, where you live might affect your symptoms. The good news is, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) knows your pain and so, to help you get ahead of it, they released their latest list of top 100 fall allergy capitals.

“Unlike earlier years when the fall capitals were mostly northeastern, the cities on this year’s list are concentrated heavily in the south” says Angel Waldron, AAFA Health Resources Advocate. In fact, the top three most challenging cities for people with allergies are all in the south: McAllen, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; and Jackson, Mississippi. \\\"That region is a prime environment for weeds,\\\" she continues, and two of those weeds — ragweed and pigweed — are the allergens that people struggle with most in the fall.

The AAFA uses three factors to determine its city rankings: use of allergy medication, the availability of nearby allergists, and pollen count per capita.The first two factors have remained primarily constant over the years — pollen count has not.

This year, fall pollen is more regionally widespread and concentrations have intensified. The AAFA says that this is directly correlated to climate change. “This is our 14th year doing this research and the pollen scores have skyrocketed,” says Waldron. “There is nothing else happening other than global warming that is causing it. Increased rainfall and increased temperatures and milder winters all contribute to more greenery, more weeds, and more pollen.”

Texas is of particular note this year, with three cities — McAllen, San Antonio and El Paso — ranking high on the list. These cities also rank much higher than the last time the research was published in 2016, with San Antonio jumping from 16th to fourth place and El Paso jumping from 49th to 11th place.

This is because \\\"the Texas climate is perfect for mold and pollen survival,” explains Waldron, and because the region is home to the Mountain Cedar tree, a tree that releases a lot of pollen into the air. “The [Mountain Cedar tree] pollen travels effortlessly by northerly winds from the hill country,\\\" she says. \\\"This can cause havoc on people with allergic rhinitis [seasonal allergies] in Texas.”

Texas has also always had a problem with ragweed, according to Dr. Hethu Parekh, an allergy specialist at Austin Family Allergy and Asthma. He's also seen an increase in dust allergies in his patients, the result of late summer dust storms. Plus, he adds, “with more rain as of late, specifically in Central Texas, mold concentrations have gone up and we’re seeing more patients with mold allergies.”

While this might sound like a lot of bad news for allergy sufferers in Texas, don't start packing your bags just yet. “Pollen spores are so lightweight, they can travel up to 500 miles — so we’re not telling people in Texas to move,” Waldron says. “We really just want folks to become educated about their surroundings, consult a specialist and then find the treatment that’s right for you. There is not one cure for everyone, so it is very important to get individualized treatment.”

Want to see where your hometown ranks on their list? Click through the slideshow above to find out.

Shadows getting longer and mercury starting to fall tells us one thing — \\\"Winter is coming.\\\"

While beach trips are an ingrained part of our culture for summer, they are a recent development compared to our winter activities. Skis were actually invented before the wheel and records of snowmen have been found that date back as early as 1380 A.D. While the ways people enjoy winter have not changed all that much, its fashion is always evolving.

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Wool was the winter fabric of choice for centuries, dating at least as far back as ancient Greece. However, wool was by no means a perfect material for winter garments. It absorbed water like a sponge and got increasingly heavy as a result. Fur provided a viable alternative for the well-to-do and was considered very fashionable in the early 20th century, but its expense limited its popularity, especially during the Great Depression.

Winter coats saw a significant innovation in the 1930s when the down jacket was invented. While modern coats may use different materials for both the outer layer and the stuffing, the basic concept behind the invention is still in wide-spread use today. Just like how it changed summer wear, WWII affected the way people dressed in winter as well. Wool was in short supply, so velveteen and corduroy were used for cold weather wear, and ornamentation was discarded in favor of simpler designs.

Ski wear developed significantly as well during the 20th century. While the large overcoats were fine for other winter activities, they would obviously be problematic when travelling at high speeds down a slope. Most skiers in the early 20th century wore ski suits that were made of wool, which had the same problems as other wool garments. Bauer was not the only one to see the potential for nylon in winter wear, and it was incorporated into ski suits by the 1950s. Ski wear became lighter, thinner and more form-fitting over time as other synthetic fabrics were developed, evolving into the skin-tight ski suits of today.

While what we wear to enjoy the winter weather may continue to change, one thing will always remain the same; kids, or those that are just kids-at-heart, will still rush out to play in the snow.

According to the World Health Organization, today, the flu affects three to five million people per year and can cause 250 to 500 thousand deaths annually. Though still deadly, these numbers suggest a vast improvement compared to the early 1900s. In 1918, a new strain of influenza trickled in from Europe and ravaged the nation, killing 650,000 nationally and nearly 100 million internationally.

During the deadly sweep, makeshift hospitals \u2014 or more accurately, camps of tents with medical supplies \u2014 were set up to treat the many afflicted. In this picture, ghostly-looking masked doctors and nurses bustle around patients as they lie lifeless on cots.

Take a look back at moments in history when people battled the cold and flu...