WATCH: Workers Use Refrigerators, Mattresses To Navigate Through Flooding In New Zealand

Stranded near their works place, people in Hawke's Bay were seen trying to navigate through the flooding caused in by Cyclone Gabrielle, using refrigerators and mattresses.

New Delhi: Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island's uppermost region on February 12 and went down the east coast spreading devastation along its path. Giving a glimpse into the reality of the cyclone, live stream footage has gone viral. It shows workers in Hawke's Bay using refrigerators and mattresses to navigate the floods, the BBC reported. 

In the 37-minute-long clip, people can be seen on top of refrigerators and mattresses. 

As per a Stuff report, these workers were airlifted from the rooftop of their workplace. 

About 10,000 people are displaced, cities and towns are still without power and drinking water, and local government officials estimate tens or even hundreds of communities are yet to be contacted, AFP reported.

Cyclone Gabrielle: Death Toll In New Zealand Climbs To 11

On Sunday, the death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand climbed to 11 as thousands of people remained missing a week after the storm struck the country's North Island. Some 5,608 people remained uncontactable across the country, while 1,196 had registered they were safe, police said.

Around 62,000 households were without power nationwide on Saturday. Of those, almost 40,000 were in Hawke's Bay, out of a population of about 170,000.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called Gabrielle the country's biggest natural disaster of this century.

Recovery efforts continued, with teams from Auckland Council carrying out rapid building assessments on damaged homes in the coastal areas of Muriwai and Piha, about 60 km west of the nation's largest city, Auckland, as per news agency Reuters.

The report stated that police have sent an extra 100 officers to Hawke's Bay and nearby Tairawhiti, including to isolated areas. Meanwhile, the New Zealand Herald reported roadblocks around a rural Hawke’s Bay village to deter looters.

Scientists say Cyclone Gabrielle had fed off hot seas, driven by climate change and La Nina weather patterns. The national MetService said Auckland Airport received almost half its annual average rainfall in the past 45 days.