The number of people still missing following Hurricane Gabriel that struck New Zealand two weeks ago has dropped to eight, authorities said on Sunday, amid warnings of more bad weather in the country’s North Island.

Gabriel struck the northern part of the island on February 12, then the eastern coast causing widespread destruction, killing at least 11 and displacing thousands.

The number of people who could not be contacted exceeded 6,000 in the aftermath of the typhoon as communications were cut off in many areas, but the number has decreased thanks to recovery and rescue efforts.

“Communicating with those remaining eight remains a priority for the police and we are exploring all avenues to try to locate them,” New Zealand Police said early on Sunday.

The North Island was hit by bad weather again on Friday with heavy rain which prompted more evacuations in the Hawke’s Bay area, one of the hardest hit areas of Gabriel.

Severe weather also prompted flash floods and evacuation warnings in and around Auckland, the country’s largest city with a population of about 1.6 million.

MetNZ issued a storm warning later in the day, particularly across the North Island and the upper part of the South Island.

And the Auckland emergency agency called on residents of the city to prepare for more rain, which is expected to fall in the evening.