Death toll from New Zealand cyclone rises to 11

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said his country has extended a national state of emergency for another seven days after Cyclone Gabrielle killed 11 people. Hipkins stressed the decision will ensure affected areas receive the resources they need.

The cyclone which was the nation’s most destructive weather event in decades brought widespread flooding, landslides and power outages. The level of damage has been compared to Cyclone Bola in 1988. That storm was the most destructive on record to hit the nation of 5 million people.