New Zealand fears more deaths after a cyclone kills 4

In this image released by the New Zealand Defense Force on Wednesday, people stand on a rooftop of a home waiting to be winched to safety by helicopter in the Esk Valley, near Napier, New Zealand. The government declared a national state of emergency Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country's north in what officials described as the nation's most severe weather event in years. (HOGP/AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A cyclone that left a devastating wake of extensive flooding and landslides in New Zealand has claimed at least four lives and police have "grave concerns" for other residents who remain unaccounted for, the prime minister said on Wednesday.

Cyclone Gabrielle struck the country's north on Monday and has brought more destruction to this nation of 5 million than any weather event in decades.