Four people have been killed as a direct result of the blast that's whipped through the upper North Island.
Three died in fierce seas off Bay of Plenty near Mount Maunganui and Opotiki.
The fourth fatality was a father who failed to escape from a burning home, in the Waikato settlement of Meremere.
The warnings were in place but the crew of a commercial fishing vessel braved the stormy conditions, the result an early morning tragedy east of Opotoki.
Two men were lost and rescuers were only able to recover one body in the heavy swell.
By daylight two survivors were airlifted from different places along the cliff face as waves lashed at them.
Further south the wild weather claimed its third victim, when a group outrigging trip from Maketu went fatally wrong.
A search and rescue operation located the body of 33-year-old rafting guide James Moore washed up on Matakana Island just as the weekend weather bomb was easing.
Further north, it was a lucky escape as people heeded Civil Defence warnings to stay inside .
Meanwhile, 800 Vector customers are still without power in the Waitakere and Rodney areas, after more than 50,000 lost electricity during the weekend storm.
Storm damage to the pilot wire system means some areas are also without hot water.
Powerco says 2,000 of its consumers in the Hauraki Plains area are still without supply.
Latest NZ News Video
-
Kiwi speaks to TVNZ7 from Everest base camp (1:59)
-
Immigration advisor Bill Milnes discusses claims (4:34)
-
Dance to save Shakti service (0:41)
