Putting numbers on the eventual cost of Cyclone Gabrielle to NZ is premature.
Two main options are being explored to prevent Hawke's Bay and Gisborne being left without power, potentially for weeks.
A crucial substation has flooded on the outskirts of Napier, cutting off electricity to Hawkes Bay and Gisborne for "days to weeks".
Because they affect the country's largest urban population, the Auckland floods will focus minds on the need for policies to "manage retreat" from climate change impacts.