The economic consultancy Infometrics says New Zealand narrowly avoided a recession in the first few months of the year with the economy growth at just 2.7 percent.
But the bad weather took its toll on the region's economies of Hawke's Bay, Tairawhiti, and Northland - with crops destroyed, meat and dairy processing disrupted, and transport infrastructure severely damaged.
Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen spoke with Corin Dann.
