A state of emergency has been declared in New Zealand after a severe downpour of rain swept away a bridge on the country's South Island.<br />The town of Franz Josef was hit the hardest by Tuesday's storm and saw its main bridge destroyed by a torrent of flood water.<br />Some parts of the island have been battered with almost 11-hundred millimeters of rain over the past 48 hours, the highest amount observed in New Zealand.<br />The storm flooded dozens of houses and businesses and about 300 kilometers of highway have been closed. <br />
