NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
April 1968 New Zealand Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle
(
1968-04-09
)
Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle affected every region in New Zealand, with high winds, heavy rain, flooding, landslips and high seas. The interislander 'Wahine' sunk in Wellington Harbour during the storm, with the loss of 51 lives. Other casualties: one in Northland, two in Wellington due to high winds: a man who went missing on Stewart Island. Weather-related injuries were reported in Waikato, Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 7 days - From the 9th to the 15th of April.
Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle. Cyclone Giselle formed in the Coral Sea near the Soloman Islands, over 3000km north-west of New Zealand, on 5th April. The system moved in a southsoutheast direction, passing north of New Zealand. On the 9th, it passed along the east coast of the North Island from North cape, and after crossing Cook Strait the system travelled down the east coast of the South Island to Banks Peninsula, remaining close to the South Island for some days longer. The combination of a complex frontal zone, which extended from Tasmania, and a depression 800 km south-west of Campbell Island brought heavy rain to places. On the 12th, the cyclonic storm returned in a south-westerly direction and caused heavy flooding in Southland and West Otago.
The storm was the worst on record for many parts of New Zealand. It was classed as the most destructive to strike the country since the early days of settlement, exceeding in violence the storm of 2nd February 1936.
Insurance Industry Payouts totalled $3,500,000 ($52,750,000 2008 dollars).
1968 was the mostly costly year on record for the insurance industry (as at 2003).
High Wind / Gust
The North Island had no power from the South Island Cook Strait cable due to two faults. The cut in the Cook Strait cable supply was caused when high winds brought down lines from the Haywards substation in Wellington and also somewhere between Benmore and Fighting Bay in the South Island.
Heavy Rain
High rainfall occurred in Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
North Island
Flooding
at
North Island
Part of State Highway 2 between Waihi and Tauranga was washed away.
Maritime / Coastal
Small craft were driven ashore in areas from the Bay of Plenty to Wellington.
Northland
Multi Hazard
at
Northland
Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle reached Cape Reinga early on the morning of the 9th.
Three main highways were closed on the 9th. All roads to the Far North were affected by slips, subsidence or flooding.
The damage in Kaitaia and Dargaville was estimated at $150,000 ($2,260,000 2008 dollars).
The Ministry of Works believed that road damage in Northland would total $150,000 ($2,260,000 2008 dollars).
High Wind / Gust
High winds caused damage to many homes, buildings and farms.
Heavy Rain
Torrential rain fell in Northland on the 9th.
Northland received 26 in (66.04 cm) of rain in in less than two weeks.
Flooding
Extensive flooding occurred.
The Whangarei-Kaeo highway (State Highways 1 and 10) and the Whangarei-Kaikohe highway (State Highways 1 and 12) were flooded on the 9th.
Thousands of hectares of farmland were flooded.
Hundreds of stock were drowned.
Flooding
at
Awanui River
The Awanui River at the School Cut reached a gauge height of 8.108 m on the 10th.
The Awanui River at the School Cut had a peak discharge of 226 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 225 km^2.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bay of Islands
Three pleasure launches and one barge were thrown ashore and destroyed in the Bay of Islands.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cape Reinga
Cape Reinga recorded gusts of up to 160 km/hr.
Cape Reinga recorded a mean wind speed of 90 knots (167 km/hr).
High Wind / Gust
at
Dargaville
A large garage housing a tractor, a truck and car disintegrated at the height of the storm.
Flooding
at
Hikurangi Swamp
About 4800 hectares of the Hikurangi Swamp was under water.
About 10 ft (3 m) of water covered the ground in places.
Flooding
at
Kaeo
Water over the main road swept up nearly four feet (1.22 m) in half and hour on the evening of the 9th.
Flooding
at
Kaitaia
Homes in Kaitaia were surrounded by flood waters. Floodwaters caused sewers to overflow gully traps.
High Wind / Gust
A farmer was killed after being blown off a haystack in Kaitaia.
Winds were aroubd 25 knots (46 km/hr), gusting to 38 knots (70 km/hr) on the 9th.
Multi Hazard
Kaitaia was cut off by slips and flooded roads.
Landslide
at
Mangamuka Gorge
State Highway 1 through Mangamuka Gorge was covered by flood waters in two places.
Mangamuka Gorge was blocked by 30 landslips.
Flooding
at
Manganui River
The Manganui River at the Permanent Station reached a gauge height of 6.614 m on the 11th.
The Manganui River at the Permanent Station had a peak discharge of 128 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 417 km^2.
Flooding
at
Maropiu
The Kaihu River at Maropiu reached a gauge height of 5.365 m on the 9th.
The Kaihu River at Maropiu had a peak discharge of 382 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 163 km^2.
High Wind / Gust
at
Marsden Point
Marsden Point was battered by high winds on the 9th.
Landslide
at
Moerewa
There were three large subsidences on State Highway 1 near Moerewa.
Multi Hazard
at
Ninety Mile Beach
Two busloads of tourists were left stranded on Ninety Mile Beach.
Flooding
at
Opahi
Opahi Stream at the Pond reached a gauge height of 2.17 m on the 10th.
Opahi Stream at the Pond had a peak discharge of 30.3 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 10.4 km^2.
Flooding
at
Rangiahua
The highway was blocked at Rangiahua where floodwaters crossed the road and made it impassable.
Heavy Rain
at
Russell
Russell recorded nearly 3 in (7.62 cm) of rain over night on the 10th.
Maritime / Coastal
At least three pleasure launches and a large barge were washed ashore by heavy seas.
Flooding
at
Selwyn Flat
The Selwyn Swamp at Big Flat Road reached a gauge height of 0.863 m on the 10th.
The Selwyn Swamp at Big Flat Road had a peak discharge of 1.132 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 2.1 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Te Kao
Houses were inundated at Te Kao.
Multi Hazard
at
Whangarei
The southern and higher parts of Whangarei were without water on the 10th due to a break in the Maunu pipeline.
Auckland
Heavy Rain
at
Auckland
Auckland was drenched by a heavy downpour on the 9th.
Flooding
Streets and gutters were flooded and several road accidents occurred.
High Wind / Gust
High winds tore the roofs off many Auckland houses and uprooted trees.
Power lines were brought down by the storm.
Landslide
Roads were blocked by slips on the 10th.
Maritime / Coastal
The 195-tonne 'pirate' radio ship 'Tiri II', which was anchored near Great Brrier Island, was driven ashore by the storm and her hull was badly damaged. She also lost her $4000 ($60,300 2008 dollars), 160 ft transmitting antenna.
Heavy Rain
at
Auckland city
Auckland recorded 1.83 in (4.65 cm) of rain in 24 hours to 6pm on the 10th.
Landslide
Tons of clay smashed down on to the site of the new public library in Wellesley Street, leaving a building, the Leighton Driving School, on the brink of a 30-foot precipice.
High Wind / Gust
Gusts of 65 mph (105 km/hr) were recorded on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Little Barrier Island
There were gusts of up to 45 knots (83 km/hr) at Little Barrier at 11am on the 9th.
Flooding
at
Makarau River
The Makarau River at Dosing Strip reached a gauge height of 4.279 m on the 9th.
The Makarau River at Dosing Strip had a peak discharge of 72.2 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 48.4 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Waiwhiu Stream
Waiwhiu Stream at Dome Shadow reached a gauge height of 1.972 m on the 10th.
Waiwhiu Stream at Dome Shadow had a peak discharge of 21.7 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 8.03 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Waikato
Multi Hazard
at
Waikato
Roads in the Waikato were blocked by flood waters and slips.
The Ohinemuri County suffered damage totalling $10,000 ($151,000 2008 dollars), for repairs to scours, remetalling roads and clearing slips.
The Thames County suffered damage totalling nearly $13,000 ($196,000 2008 dollars), of which 75% was road damage.
Telecommunications with almost all towns on the Coromandel Peninsula were disrupted.
Heavy Rain
The Waitekauri-Shaftesbury area received the heaviest rainfalls in the Waikato.
Flooding
Flows in the Kauaeranga, Kirikiri, Puriri, Hikutaia and Komata Rivers were close to the highest known over the last 10 years.
Some roads were closed by flood waters from the Waihou River and hill streams.
The Waihou River rose to a level in the southern area of roughly 0.3 m lower than in 1966.
State Highway 2 between Paeroa and Waihi was closed by flood waters, and the was some undermining of the roadway.
Landslide
Considerable slipping occurred on relatively easy slopes.
Nine roads were closed by slips. State Highway 25A, the Kopu-Hikuai Highway, was closed due to slips. The Tapu-Coromandel road was closed by slips, with a large slip on the eastern side of Tapu Hill.
Multi Hazard
at
Coromandel
The estimated cost of the damage to county roads in the Coromandel County was $16,500 ($248,700 2008 dollars).
Heavy Rain
at
Elstow
Elstow recorded 60.0 mm (6.0 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Hikuai
Hikuai Settlement Road by the Tairua River was closed.
Flooding
at
Hikutaia
Huia Valley Road by the Hikutaia River was closed.
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Komata North-Hikutaia-Wainui area.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaihere
Kaihere recorded 73.7 mm (7.4 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Kakahu Stream
Kakahu Downs recorded 93.7 mm (9.4 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Karangahake
State Highway 2 through the Karangahake Gorge was closed.
The Ohinemuri River at Karangahake reached a gauge height of 6.096 m on the 10th.
The Ohinemuri River at Karangahape had a peak flow of 651 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 287 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Kauaeranga
Kauaeranga recorded 179.4 mm (17.9 cm) of rain.
Flooding
Kauaeranga Valley Road and Kauaeranga South Road by the Kauaeranga River were closed.
The Kauaeranga River at Smiths reached a gauge height of 5.547 m on the 10th.
The Kauaranga River at Smiths had a peak dicharge of 775 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 122 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Kauaeranga River
Rainfall in the upper reaches of the Kauaeranga River was 6.47 in (16.43 cm) in 24 hours.
Flooding
The Kauaeranga River at the Gauging Station reached a gauge height of 5.6 m at 3:15am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Kerepehi
Kerepehi recorded 50.8 mm (5.1 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Kiwitahi
Kiwitahi recorded 46.5 mm (4.7 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Kopu
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Warahoe and Kopu areas.
Heavy Rain
at
Mamaku
Mamaku recorded 134.5 mm (13.5 cm) of rain.
Multi Hazard
at
Marokopa
600 sheep died from exposure after shearing.
Heavy Rain
at
Matamata
Matamata recorded 73.3 mm (7.3 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Morrinsville
Morrinsville recorded 47.0 mm (4.7 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Mt Te Aroha
Te Aroha Mountain recorded 137.0 mm (13.7 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Ngatea
Ngatea recorded 44.5 mm (4.5 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Okauia
Okauia recorded 60.8 mm (6.1 cm) of rain.
Flooding
The Waihou River at Okauia Springs reached a gauge height of 5.2 m at 11:50am on the 10th.
The Waihou River at Okauia Springs had an estimated flow of 90 cumecs at 11:50am on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Omahu
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Omahu area.
Heavy Rain
at
Paeroa
Paeroa recorded 96.2 mm (9.6 cm) of rain.
Flooding
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Opukeko-Hubbard Roads area.
The Waihou River at Puke (bridge) reached a gauge height of 7.3 m at 10am on the 10th.
The Ohinemuri River at Paeroa reached a gauge height of 8.4 m at 5:30am on the 10th.
The Ohinemuri River at Paeroa had an estimaed flow of 540 cumecs at 5:30am on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Puketui
Puketui Road by the Tairua River was closed.
Flooding
at
Puriri
State Highway 26 by Puriri Stream was closed. The Puriri-Neavesville Road by Puriri Stream was also closed.
High Wind / Gust
at
Raglan
Several lanches and other small craft broke loss from their moorings in the harbour. Some were washed up on the beach.
Heavy Rain
at
Richmond Downs
Richmond Downs recorded 40.9 mm (4.1 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury recorded 162.4 mm (16.2 cm) of rain.
Flooding
The Waihou River at Shaftesbury reached a gauge height of 17.6 m at 10pm on the 10th.
The Waihou River at Shaftesbury had an estimated flow of 120 cumecs at 10pm on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Tahunaatara Stream
Tahunaatara Stream at Ohakuri Road reached a gauge height of 1.594 m on the 10th.
Tahunaatara Stream at Ohakuri Road had a peak discharge of 35.5 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 210 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Tairua
Tairua Forest recorded 104.9 mm (10.5 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Tauwhare
Tauwhare recorded 53.4 mm (5.3 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Aroha
Te Aroha recorded 4.93 in (12.52 cm) of rain in 24 hours ending 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
The Waihou River at Te Aroha Bridge reached a gauge height of 8.062 m on the 11th.
The Waihou River at Te Aroha Bridge had a peak discharge of 156 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 1121 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Puru
Puru recorded 88.9 mm (8.9 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Thames
Thames recorded 3.10 in (7.87 cm) of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
State Highway 25 by the Kauaeranga River was closed.
High Wind / Gust
Telephone toll services out of Thames on the 10th, were restricted to single lines to Paeroa and Ngatea. No lines were working to Auckland, Hamilton, Coromandel and Whitianga.
Flooding
at
Tirohia
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Tirohia-Rotokohu area.
The Waihou River at Tirohia reached a gauge height of 3.444 m on the 12th.
The Waihou River at Tirohia had a peak discharge of 127 cumecs on the 12th, with a catchment area of 1217 km^2.
High Wind / Gust
at
Totara
Trees and chimneys were blown down in Totara, causing damage to power and telephone lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waihi
The roofs of several houses were badly damaged. Shop verandahs in the town were also blown down.
Power poles and wires were reported to be down. A power cut plunged the town into almost total darkness for nearly the entire night.
Heavy Rain
Waihi recorded 104.1 mm (10.4 cm) of rain.
Flooding
Frankton Road was closed due to flood waters.
Flooding
at
Waimakariri Stream
Waimakariri Stream at Donovans Bridge reached a gauge height of 0.9 m on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Waiomou Stream
Waiomou Stream at Leonards bridge reached a gauge height of 1.5 m at 7:30am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Wairakau
Wairakau recorded 137.1 mm (13.7 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Waitawheta
Deans Road was closed due to flood waters.
Heavy Rain
at
Waiteariki Stream
Waiti-Ariki Waterworks recorded 127.0 mm (12.7 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Waitekauri
Waitekauri recorded 310.7 mm (31.1 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Whangamata
Wentworth Valley Road by the Wentworth River was closed.
Heavy Rain
at
Whangapoua
Whangapoua recorded 116.8 mm (11.7 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Whiritoa
Whiritoa Hill recorded 98.2 mm (9.8 cm) of rain.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whitianga
High seas in the Whitianga harbour left a trail of damage. Two fishing boats were washed ashore and several dinghies were also missing. Heavy seas also threw large deposits of shell on the shoreward side of Buffalo Beach Road.
Bay of Plenty
High Wind / Gust
at
Bay of Plenty
Western Boundary forest stands suffered wind damage.
Roads in the Rotorua, Whakatane and Taupo areas were scattered with large branches and falling trees had partly blocked some.
Flooding
Mangarewa Stream at Sounders Farm reached a gauge height of 6.44 m on the 10th.
Mangarewa Stream at Sounders Farm had a peak discharge of 456 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 179 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Maritime / Coastal
Pleasure craft at Mount Maunganui, Katikati and Bowentown were damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Katikati
At Katikati, the roof was torn off classrooms at a school and several houses at the northern end of town lost sections of their roofs. Barns and milking sheds also lost roofs. At least one cowshed was extensively damaged.
Large trees were torn out of the ground.
Telephone and power services were severely disrupted throughout the Katikati area.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kawerau
The roof of the new St John Ambulance hall was blown off.
High Wind / Gust
at
Maketu
Three houses were on the point of losing their roofs. At least one house moved off its foundations.
Flooding
Several houses near the lagoon were flooded and the occupants had to leave.
Maritime / Coastal
Several dinghies were smashed by the force of the wind and waves.
180 acres (73 ha) were under water after high tides and strong winds flooded farmland.
High Wind / Gust
at
Maraenui Marae
Maraenui school was demolished.
High Wind / Gust
at
Opotiki
An Opotiki church was damaged.
A 40 ft fishing boat was swept from its mooring, lifted across a road and dumped in a paddock.
Multi Hazard
Three cows were killed when a tree fel on them and a large number of sheep were drowned in sea water.
Flooding
at
Rotorua
Utuhina Stream at the State Highway Bridge reached a gauge height of 1.859 m on the 10th.
Utuhina Stream at the State Highway Bridge had a peak discharge of 11.4 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 59.6 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Multi Hazard
at
Taneatua
Rail services on the Taneatua line were cut.
High Wind / Gust
at
Tauranga
The cyclone approached Tauranga at more than 30 knots (56 km/hr) on the 9th.
The winds damaged house roofs in Tauranga and farm buildings collapsed. The roof of a house in Otumoetai was completely blown off.
Winds in the Tauranga area gusted to more than 80 knots (148 km/hr).
At Tauranga Airport the winds gusted to 52 knots (96 km/hr).
The power supply to Tauranga was completely cut for almost half an hour on the 9th after a tree branch blew across the 50,000 volt line bringing power from the national grid.
There were tele-communication failures in the Tauranga area.
Maritime / Coastal
Seas whipped inland across pastures and wreaked havoc on the ocean beach foreshore.
Boats were blown from their moorings and several sunk.
Tauranga experienced a storm surge of 0.9 m.
Multi Hazard
The air pressure dropped down to 970 millibars (97.0 hPa) - a record low.
Flooding
Heavy rain flooded some business premises.
There was a washout on the Tauranga-Waihi Road.
High Wind / Gust
at
Te Kaha
Te Kaha School was demolished.
Flooding
at
Te Matai
The Kaituna River at Te Matai reached a gauge height of 2.685 m on the 10th.
The Kaituna River at Te Matai had a peak discharge of 117 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 948 km^2.
High Wind / Gust
at
Te Puke
Barns and milking sheds in Te Puke lost roofs.
Farmers were unable to do morning milking due to the loss of electricity.
1000 phones were out in Te Puke.
Flooding
at
Waiari Stream
Waiari Stream at Muttons reached a gauge height of 3.536 m on the 10th.
Waiari Stream at Muttons had a peak discharge of 55.2 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 69.9 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Waihi Beach
A woman was injured when waves washed through a beach cottage at Waihi.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Waiotahi
At Waiotahi, 200 hectares (2 km^2) of coastal farmland was under saltwater.
Farm animals drowned.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whakatane
Two fishing boats were wrecked at the wharf.
In the rural area, huge seas were driven inland, flooding many hectares of coastal farmland.
Hundreds of cattle and sheep were drowned.
Huge waves smashed a concrete retaining wall and washed logs across the road.
High Wind / Gust
Some homes in Whakatane lost their roofs, and the childrens ward at the hospital had half its roof ripped away.
Ten patients from the hospital were evacuated.
Many farm buildings were flattened.
Whakatane Aerodrome recorded a peak wind gust of 79 knots (146 km/hr) on the 10th, at 080 degrees true.
Gisborne
High Wind / Gust
at
Gisborne
Winds of 75 knots (139 km/hr) were recorded in Gisborne on the morning of the 10th. It was the fiercest gale in living memory.
A school roof was lost.
Orchards were damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gisborne city
The hospital was damaged, and patients had to be hurriedly moved from it. 21 patients were evacuated from the isolation ward at Cook Hospital. Part of the roof of ward eight was ripped off and flung several hundred yards away.
Gisborne Aerodrome recorded a peak wind gust of 76 knots (141 km/hr) on the 10th, at 050 degrees true.
The gale tore the roofs off homes, disrupted power supplies and telephone communications. It flattened poultry farm buildings, ripped out countless trees, blocked many roads, and shattered windows in some homes.
Hawke's Bay
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawke's Bay
In Hawke's Bay, houses lost their roofs and fences and farm buildings were flattened.
Thousands of bushels of fruit were torn from trees.
Multi Hazard
Roads and railway lines were blocked by slips and fallen trees.
Flooding
A number of families were evacuated due to flooding.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hastings
Orchards were damaged in Hastings. More than a quarter of a million bushels of apples, the bulk of the Granny Smith variety, were shaken from trees overnight on the 9th in the Hastings district. Granny Smith apples were estimated to crop up to half a million cases this season and a preliminary survey showed that between a quarter and a half of the crop was lost.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mahia Beach
A cottage at Mahia beach was blown to pieces.
High Wind / Gust
at
Napier
A Napier house was torn in two by the wind, several others lost roofs, and many houses along Marine Parade had windows blown in.
Taranaki
Heavy Rain
at
Taranaki
North Taranaki received nearly 3 in (7.62 cm) of rain overnight on the 9th to the 10th.
Flooding
No flooding was reported.
High Wind / Gust
Westerly winds gusted up to 43 mph (69 km/hr).
Multi Hazard
The centre of the tropical storm bypassed the Taranaki region.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Multi Hazard
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
The backlash of the tropical depression that swept the East Coast.
High Wind / Gust
A southerly gale blew in the Wanganui-Turakina-Marton area for three hours on the 10th.
Plantations in the Manawatu, Rangitikei and Wanganui districts were stripped.
State Highway 4 between Wanganui and Raetihi was blocked for about two hours on the 10th by fallen trees.
Three men were taken to hospital for treatment after they were blown over by strong gusts.
The winds peaked at 90 mph (145 km/hr) on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
The high winds were accompanied by torrential rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Levin
Three people were injured when a car was whipped off the highway at Levin.
High Wind / Gust
at
Ohakea
Ohakea recorded a peak wind gust of 84 knots (156 km/hr) on the 10th, at 270 degrees true.
Multi Hazard
at
Okoia
Okoia School closed on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Opiki
At Opiki, lines of Macrocarpa trees were flattened.
Multi Hazard
at
Upokongaro
Upokongaro School closed on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wanganui
Wanganui Aerodrome recorded a peak wind gust of 83 knots (154 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
Two homes in Koromiko Road lost portions of their roofs and the Castlecliff town hall lost some roofing iron. Two huge pine trees fell across a house. Windows were broken and tv aerials twisted.
A motorist was trapped beneath a fallen tree in Ridgeway Street.
At Wanganui Airport, about half of the hanger roof was stripped by the wind and windows were smashed at the Terminal. Huts and other small buildings at the airport were shattered by wind. A Cessna 185 suffered severe damage, damage was done to a DC3 rudder and elevator, and an open hanger sheltering an Auster collapsed, wrecking the aircraft.
Wanganui Airport was closed until 1.30pm on the 10th.
At Wanganui Racecourse, the main grandstand lost a third of its roof. Two gables disappeared in a gust, the Leger Street stand lost a wall, and roofing from stables was flung 50 yards (45 m) across Purnell Street. An iron fence along 200 yards (180 m) of Purnell Street was a complete write off.
The damage to Wanganui Racecourse was estimated at $20,000 ($301,000 2008 dollars).
Highways around the city were affected by fallen trees.
Toll and telegraph communications to and from the city were cut for about ten-and-a-half hours.
Powerlines were cut by fallen trees and roofing iron.
Orchards were stripped of apples, wind breaks were uprooted, and fruit trees were smashed.
About $1000 ($15,000 2008 dollars) of damage was done to Rasmussen Ltd's Upper Aramoho nursery when two shelter belts were uprooted.
A pine plantation lost several thousand dollars when about 300 trees were destroyed in the storm.
The gales in Wanganui were the severest in the city's memory.
Multi Hazard
At the Art Gallery, 12 skylights were smashed, causing flooding on the floor. Window glazing in Memorial Hall gave way in the high winds, causing rain to get inside.
Castlecliff School closed on the 10th. Wanganui Boys College closed at lunchtime.
Heavy Rain
The Crematorium was leaking.
Wanganui recorded 2.20 in (5.6 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 6pm on the 10th.
Multi Hazard
at
Whangaehu
Whangaehu School closed on the 10th.
Wellington
Multi Hazard
at
Wellington
Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle was intensified over Wellington on the morning of the 10th, when it met a bad southerly gale moving up from the West Coast as a front of cold air from a depression south of New Zealand.
Nine schools in the area closed on the 10th.
$162.9 million (2002 dollars) of insurance claims were made in the aftermath of the Wahine storm ($194,900,000 2008 dollars).
3657 insurance claims were made for storm damage in the Wellington region.
Loss of the "Wahine" Payouts totalled $10,000,000 ($150,700,000 2008 dollars).
The Earthquake and War Damage Commision (EWDC) payouts totalled $625,170 ($9,422,200 2008 dollars), for the 72% of claims paid out.
The mean payment from the EWDC was $237 ($3570 2008 dollars).
The largest single payment from the EWDC was $441,128 ($6,648,400 2008 dollars) for a claim in the Rongotai industrial area.
High Wind / Gust
Wellington experienced full hurricane force winds for several hours on the 10th.
The winds were the strongest yet to be recorded in any builtup area in New Zealand.
In the Wairarapa, trees and sign posts were blown down on the 10th.
Power and telephone lines were blown down.
Road and rail travel was disrupted and all city council trolley buses were off the streets for most of the day. Many roads in Wellington city suburbs were impassable because of downed trees and branches, flooding, and fallen power and trolley bus lines.
Many schools decided to close on the the morning of the 10th but pupils were not allowed to walk or cycle home due to the danger of flying debris.
The winds were from the southsouth-west direction.
A 7-year-old girl was killed on the 10th when roofing iron from a neighbouring house was blown through a bedroom window, as she and her sister lay in their beds. The children were at Bedford Street, Northland, a suburb of Wellington.
The girl's 9-year-old sister received fractures to her skull.
An elderly woman died in Wellington on the 10th when her small home was enveloped by wind-whipped flames.
An elderly man died on the way to hospital after being bowled over by the wind.
More than 80 people were treated at hospital for various injuries. Most were victims of flying debris.
A great deal of damage was done to places exposed to the south.
Damage to 2000 state houses was placed at $170,000 ($2,560,000 2008 dollars).
High Wind / Gust
at
Berhampore
Athletic Park was extensively damaged. Most of the main stand roof was blown away and one end of the stand suffered badly.
High Wind / Gust
at
Carterton
A farmer was taken to hospital after being struck by a flying tree branch in Carterton.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cook Strait
The combined force of the two cyclones stirred up incredible winds in Cook Strait.
Hurricane force winds reached 275 km/hr.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Eastbourne
Eastbourne was cut off from the city of Wellington as heavy seas washed over Marine Drive.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gracefield
Gracefield recorded a peak gust of 98 knots (181 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawkins Hill
Hawkins Hill recorded gusts of up to 235 km/hr on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hutt River
The winds in the Hutt Valley were less severe.
In the Hutt Valley factory and house roofing was blown off. Felt and Textiles (NZ) Ltd lost a section of its roofing and Sunbeam (NZ) Ltd lost a shelter cover. Numerous houses in various parts of the Hutt Valley suffered damaged roofs.
The majority of homes in the Hutt Valley were without power on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Johnsonville
Two men were severely injured in separate accidents in Johnsonville, in which sheds collapsed in the wind on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kelburn
Kelburn (elevation 125 m) recorded a peak gust of 107 knots (198 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kingston
Kingston received the worst property damage from the storm. 98 houses lost parts of their roofs. Six or more houses in Kingston Heights were vitually demolished, three being torn completely apart and flattened, and 20 others were de-roofed. Dozens of houses were left with shattered windows, and light fixtures and other unfixed items were also shattered. The list of damaged properties was approaching 200.
Efforts to evacuate the area were made later in morning on the 10th. About 56 people were evacuated from the area.
Roofing iron and slates littered every street, along with torn wires, fencing, letter boxes, tree branches, rubbish bins and tar paper.
Three ambulances and a truck were blown onto their sides when they tried to go into the area.
Heavy Rain
After roofs were ripped off, rain poured into houses, ruining furnishings and carpets.
High Wind / Gust
at
Lower Hutt
The Lower Hutt area lost its electricity supply for an hour on the morning of the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Lyall Bay
An ambulance, two trucks and several cars were blown onto the beach at Lyall Bay. The force of the wind caused paint to be sandblasted off several cars and some had their windscreens shattered.
Flooding
at
Martinborough
The Ruamahanga River at Waihenga (bridge) reached a gauge height of 4.084 m on the 10th.
The Ruamahanga River at Waihenga (bridge) had a peak discharge of 843 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 2341 km^2.
High Wind / Gust
at
Oteranga Bay
Near Oteranga Bay gusts of up to 267 km/hr were recorded on the 10th.
Oteranga Bay anemometer (173 m above sea level) recorded wind speeds of 98 kts (181 km/hr).
Oteranga Bay (elevation 174 m) recorded a peak gust of 131 knots (243 km/hr) on the 10th, at 220 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Paraparaumu
Paraparaumu Aerodrome recorded a peak gust of 93 knots (172 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Petone
72 cars were sitting on the side of the road between Petone and Kaiwharawhara, some of the which had been abandoned.
General Motors at Petone lost its roof.
Parts of Petone industrial areas were without power all morning on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Seatoun
At Seatoun, more than 20 cars and vans were blown into a heap by the wind. The roof of one house was peeled off and hurled through a neighbour's window.
The damage in Seatoun amounted to $40,000 ($603,000 2008 dollars).
Flooding
at
Upper Hutt
Severe flooding occurred in Upper Hutt.
A State of Civil Defence Emergency was declared.
High Wind / Gust
Five shop verandahs between Royal Street and Pine Avenue were dropped.
The Hutt railway was out of action and the Western Hutt Road was usable only in emergencies. Many cars were abandoned on the road.
Landslide
at
Wainuiomata
Slips isolated 12,000 Wainuiomata residents.
Flooding
The Wainui-o-mata River at Morton Dam reached a gauge height of 1.006 m on the 10th.
The Wainui-o-mata River at Morton Dam had a peak discharge of 79.24 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 33.4 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Heavy Rain
at
Wellington City
Wellington recorded 2.9 in (7.37 cm) of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
The winds blew out a number of windows in the Parliament buildings, uprooted large trees in the grounds and blew down fences.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour recorded winds of 120-160 km/hr on the 10th.
Maritime / Coastal
The 9000-ton Interisland steamer "Wahine" foundered in the harbour entrance, rolling over and hitting the bottom off Seatoun on the 10th. With severe underwater damage, the Wahine drifted helplessly for hours before the end.
51 lives were lost from the Wahine.
Huge seas boiling down the capital's harbour drove several yachts ashore.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington International Airport
Wellington Aerodrome recorded a peak gust of 101 knots (187 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
Wellington Airport recorded sustained (mean) wind speeds of 70 kts (130 km/hr).
Marlborough
Heavy Rain
at
Marlborough
Extremely heavy rain fell in the western portion of the Wairau Catchment, in a line through the Goulter, Branch and Leatham Catchments.
Flooding
The Wairau River had a peak flow of 3,000 cumecs.
Flooding
at
Bartletts Creek
Bartletts Creek at North Bank Bridge reached a gauge height of 119.07 m on the 9th.
Bartletts Creek at North Bank Bridge had a peak discharge of 228 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 73.6 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Benhopai Dam
Benhopai Dam recorded 17.0 mm (1.7 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Benhopai Dam recorded 61.3 mm (6.1 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Benhopai Dam recorded 78.2 mm (7.8 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Blenheim
Blenheim recorded 4.3 mm (0.4 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Blenheim recorded 46.9 mm (4.7 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Blenheim recorded 51.3 mm (5.1 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
The Blenheim-West Coast highway was cut when the Branch River washed away two and a half chains (30 m) of bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
The Branch station
The Branch recorded an average rainfall intensity of 8.1 mm (0.8 cm) per hour on the 9th.
The Branch recorded 92.7 mm (9.3 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
The Branch recorded 133.5 mm (13.4 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
The Branch recorded 226.1 mm (22.6 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
The Branch River at the Recorder reached a gauge height of 6.949 m on the 9th.
The Branch River at the Recorder had a peak discharge of 1217 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 580 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Coatbridge station
Stopbanks on the Wairau River from Langley Dale to Coatbridge were overtopped.
Flooding
at
Craiglochart station
The Waihopai River at Craiglochart reached a gauge height of 163.861 m on the 9th.
The Waihopai River at Craiglocharthad a peak discharge of 444 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 764 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Deep Creek
Deep Creek recorded 23.4 mm (2.3 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Deep Creek recorded 174.2 mm (17.4 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Deep Creek recorded 187.6 mm (18.8 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Fabians Creek
Fabians Valley recorded 58.4 mm (5.8 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Fabians Valley recorded 99.1 mm (9.9 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Fabians Valley recorded 157.4 mm (15.7 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Lake Grassmere
Lake Grassmere recorded a peak gust of 83 knots (154 km/hr) on the 10th, at 180 degrees true.
Heavy Rain
at
Lake Rotoiti
Lake Rotoiti recorded 17.8 mm (1.8 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Lake Rotoiti recorded 90.4 mm (9.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Lake Rotoiti recorded 107.0 mm (10.7 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Leatham station
Leatham recorded 53.3 mm (5.3 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th, although the gauge overflowed.
Leatham recorded 252.7 mm (25.3 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th, although the gauge overflowed.
Leatham recorded 306.0 mm (30.6 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Onamalutu River
Onamalutu recorded 38.1 mm (3.8 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Onamalutu recorded 109.2 mm (10.9 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Onamalutu recorded 147.3 mm (14.7 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Pine Valley Stream
Pine Valley Stream at the Slope Area Reach reached a gauge height of 176.507 m on the 9th.
Pine Valley Stream at the Slope Area Reach had a peak discharge of 93.4 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 27.7 km^2.
Flooding
at
Pukaka Drain
The Wairau River at the Pukaka Floodgates reached a gauge height of 5.09 m on the 10th.
The Wairau River at the Pukaka Floodgates had a peak discharge of 614 cumecs on the 10th. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Renwick
Water flowed through the old Conders Groyne and flowed over the state highway at the County Crusher.
Flooding
at
Saltwater Stream
The Wairau River works from Waihopai to Saltwater Creek suffered the most serious damage, with 60 m badly damaged or destroyed and 140 m requiring topping up.
Flooding
at
Spring Creek
Willow protection along the Wairau River bank adjacent to Spring Creek was destroyed for 20 m.
Flooding
at
Timms Creek
Timms Creek at the Slope Area Reach reached a gauge height of 243.688 m on the 9th.
Timms Creek at the Slope Area Reach had a peak discharge of 137 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 34.2 km^2.
Flooding
at
Top Valley Stream
Top Valley Stream at the Slope Area Reach reached a gauge height of 304.434 m on the 9th.
Top Valley Stream at the Slope Area Reach had a peak discharge of 187 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 78 km^2.
Flooding
at
Tuamarina
The Wairau River at Tuamarina reached a gauge height of 6.501 m on the 10th.
The Wairau River at Tuamarinahad a peak discharge of 2972 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 3432 km^2.
From Ferry Bridge downstream, some bank slumping occurred on the Wairau River. Major damage was done on Peninsular Island, where some 200 m of heavy willow bank protection needed to be replaced with rock. Damage to the river works between Tuamarina and Waihopai was comparatively light.
Heavy Rain
at
Wairau Valley
Wairau Valley recorded 29.9 mm (3.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Wairau Valley recorded 72.1 mm (7.2 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Wairau Valley recorded 102.1 mm (10.2 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Wye River
Wye (Charlies Rest) recorded 44.2 mm (4.4 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Wye (Charlies Rest) recorded 95.0 mm (9.5 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Wye (Charlies Rest) recorded 139.2 mm (13.9 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
The Wye River at Thomson Gorge reached a gauge height of 387.148 m on the 9th.
The Wye River at Thomson Gorge had a peak discharge of 58 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 43.5 km^2.
Tasman-Nelson
High Wind / Gust
at
Tasman-Nelson
In the Nelson region, 20 million feet (6.1 million metres) of timber was recovered from damaged pockets spread over 5000 acres. The operation took three years to complete.
Multi Hazard
at
Golden Bay
Floodwaters swept over several roads in Golden Bay on the morning of the 9th after a night of heavy rain and gale force winds.
Flooding
at
Riwaka River South Branch
The Riwaka South Branch at Mosses Bush reached a gauge height of 1.768 m on the 9th.
The Riwaka South Branch at Mosses Bush had a peak discharge of 64.5 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 48.7 km^2.
West Coast
Multi Hazard
at
West Coast
The rail link via the Otira tunnel was closed. Four trains were stranded on the coast.
The worst highway damage was between Greymouth and Westport. Several spans of the Big Totara Bridge were washed away and many slips blocked the road.
Flooding
Hundreds of sheep drowned in the Mawheraiti-Waimunga areas in what was described as the worst floods in living memory.
Heavy Rain
at
Greymouth
Greymouth recorded 4.73 in (12.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Greymouth recorded over 2 in (5.1 cm) of rain in the hour from 8am-9am on the 9th.
Multi Hazard
The damage to Greymouth properties was estimated at thousands of dollars.
Flooding
Greymouth was awash on the 9th, following a cloudburst which caused the evacuation of some houses.
Sawyers Creek at High Street Bridge reached a gauge height of 2.972 m on the 9th.
Sawyers Creek at High Street Bridge had a peak discharge of 72.2 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 16.6 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Four schools were closed on the 9th because of surface flooding.
Landslide
The rain brought down many slips.
Canterbury
Multi Hazard
at
Canterbury
Thousands of sheep drowned or died of exposure. In North Canterbury several hundred newly-shorn sheep died from exposure.
Hundreds of homes were damaged by flooding, wind and landslides.
High Wind / Gust
Canterbury experienced a south-westerly gale on the 10th.
Glasshouses were destroyed.
Orchards were stripped.
Significant damage was done to forests in Canterbury. 500 hectares of forest was destroyed. 1000 ha of the Selwyn Plantation Board and Eyrewell Forests were damaged.
Canterbury recorded a maximum wind speed of 130 km/hr
Heavy Rain
Rain was very heavy south of Christchurch.
Flooding
Market gardens were flooded.
Two cars were swept off a highway into a flooded paddock and the occupants had to be pulled to safety.
Reynolds Stream at Brankins Bridge reached a gauge height of 1.329 m on the 11th.
Reynolds Stream at Brankins Bridge had a peak discharge of 10.5 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 4.35 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Although the cyclone veered seawards, extensive flooding occurred on rivers south of the Waitaki.
Snow / Ice
Snow started falling at Lewis Pass, Porters Pass and Craigieburn after a severe drop in temperature in inland Canterbury.
High Wind / Gust
at
Ashley Forest
Large areas of the Ashley State Forest were badly damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Banks Peninsula
Very high winds battered Banks Peninsula on the 14th.
Heavy Rain
at
Christchurch
Christchurch recorded 5 in (12.7 cm) of rain from the 10th to the morning of the 13th.
Flooding
Hundreds of homes were flooded above floor level when the Heathcote and Avon Rivers breached their banks.
About 130 families were evacuated along the Heathcote River and at Sumner and South Brighton.
Cashmere Stream at the Weir reached a gauge height of 1.167 m on the 12th.
Cashmere Stream at the Weir had a peak discharge of 4.75 cumecs on the 12th, with a catchment area of 2.18 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Hoon Hay Stream at the Weir reached a gauge height of 1.204 m on the 12th.
Hoon Hay Stream at the Weir had a peak discharge of 5.15 cumecs on the 12th, with a catchment area of 3.26 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Deep Creek at the Carlton Road Culvert reached a gauge height of 0.351 m on the 11th.
Deep Creek at the Carlton Road Culvert had a peak discharge of 1.8 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 3.73 km^2.
Extensive urban flooding occurred in the Sumner area and much of suburban Christchurch on the 14th.
High Wind / Gust
Christchurch recorded a gust of 82 mph (132 km/hr) just before 9am on the 11th.
House roofs were torn off and windows blown in. In the Port Hills some houses were damaged almost beyond repair by the wind.
In Horotane Valley Road 30 huge glasshouses and the tomatoes inside them were destoyed.
Hundreds of trees were uprooted. Shops and buses lost their roofs. Fences, garages and windows were smashed. Power poles were toppled.
A man was killed on the night of the 10th when a tree was blown down on him on his property.
Multi Hazard
The storm caused damage estimated at $500,000 ($7,535,700 2008 dollars).
Christchurch Internation Airport was closed on the morning of the 11th and 600 passengers were affected.
Multi Hazard
at
Ellesmere
At Ellesmere, 3000 sheep perished.
Flooding
at
Leeston
At Leeston, 10,000 fowls were drowned.
Flooding
at
Little River
Little River families had to be rescued when the settlement was flooded.
Multi Hazard
at
Lyttelton
The storm was the worst in living memory at Lyttleton.
Flooding
at
Otemata River
The Otemata River at the Pumphouse reached a gauge height of 1.555 m on the 13th.
The Otemata River at the Pumphouse had a peak discharge of 136 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 668 km^2.
Flooding
at
Rockburn
Rocky Gully Stream at Rockburn reached a gauge height of 1.204 m on the 13th.
Rocky Gully Stream at Rockburn had a peak discharge of 20.1 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 22.8 km^2.
Flooding
at
Silverton station
The Orari River at Silverton reached a gauge height of 2.774 m on the 13th.
The Orari River at Silverton had a peak discharge of 228 cumecs on the 13th, with a cachment area of 521 km^2.
Flooding
at
Skipton Reserve
The Opuha River at Skipton reached a gauge height of 2.24 m on the 13th.
The Opuha River at Skipton had a peak discharge of 113 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 484 km^2.
Flooding
at
Whitecliffs
The Selwyn River at Whitecliffs reached a gauge height of 1.228 m on the 11th.
The Selwyn River at Whitecliffs had a peak discharge of 33.1 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 151 km^2.
Otago
Heavy Rain
at
Otago
Widespread rain occurred on catchments still wet from the March storm. Only the very exposed areas on the coast between Oamaru and the Otago Peninsula recieved heavy rain.
Nearly 355 mm (35.5 cm) of rain fell between the 10th and 13th.
The highest daily rainfall figure was 155.2 mm (15.5 cm) of rain on the 11th.
Flooding
Widespread flooding was experienced generally. There was widespread flooding in the Pomahaka River.
Flooding
at
Blue Mountains
There was very heavy damage and erosion to tributaries from the Blue Mountains.
Flooding
at
Conical Hill
There was a washout on the Tapanui branch railway line near Conical Hill.
Flooding
at
Crookston
At the top end of Crookston, Swift Stream flattened seven lengths of fence.
There was widespread flooding in the Crookston Burn and Swift Creek on the 13th.
Landslide
at
Dunedin
Late on the night of the 15th, a slip occurred on Ivanhoe Road after heavy rain, spilling mud, gorse and broom on to nearly the whole width of the road below. Two houses on a high section were undermined and left a few feet from the edge of the slip, in danger of crashing on to Portobello Road.
At 11pm, the road was covered in mud for a width of 15-20 ft (4.6-6.1 m), and was only passable by small cars, which inched their way along the slip.
Slips came down on to three houses in Glen Road, Green Island. The subsidence occurred on Leckhampton Court.
Leckhampton Court was closed to traffic.
Flooding
at
East Taieri
More than 14.6 ha of East Taieri was flooded, and a much larger area was subjected to temporary inundation.
Flooding
at
Heriot
Large stock losses occurred on a Heriot farm.
Quite severe damage was done in the Heriot township.
Flooding
at
Kelso
Kelso was flooded on the 13th. By the morning of the 15th the flood waters had almost gone from the township, with only a few large lakes remaining.
Most properties that were flooded had 1/4-1/2 in (0.6-1.3 cm) of silt left over the floors.
Quite severe damage was done in the Kelso township. The damage to one store was estimated at hundreds of dollars.
Stock losses were negligible.
Flooding
at
Kyeburn
The Kye Burn at M.H. Bridge, Kyeburn, reached a gauge height of 2.377 m on the 13th.
The Kye Burn at M.H. Bridge, Kyeburn, had a peak discharge of 127 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 376 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Lovells Flat
Lovells Creek at Lovells Flat reached a gauge height of 1.676 m on the 13th.
Lovells Creek at Lovells Flat had a peak discharge of 21.5 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 39.9 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Patearoa Power Station
The Taieri River at Patearoa-Paerau Bridge reached a gauge height of 2.057 m on the 15th.
The Taieri River at Patearoa-Paerau Bridge had a peak discharge of 60 cumecs on the 15th, with a catchment area of 738 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Pomahaka River
The return of the cyclonic storm on the 12th caused heavy flooding in the upper part of the Pomahaka catchment.
Flooding
at
Silver Stream
There was a record flood in the Silver Stream.
Flooding
at
Spylaw Burn
There was widespread flooding in the Spylaw area on the 13th.
Flooding
at
Tapanui
In the Tapanui area considerable damage was done to fences.
Flooding
at
Tokomairiro River
In the Tokomairiro Rating Area, extensive flooding occurred, particularly in the Milton Borough, between the 9th and the 16th.
Flooding
at
Wharemoa station
The Pomahaka River at Burkes Ford reached a gauge height of 5.425 m on the 14th.
The Pomahaka River at Burkes Ford hada peak discharge of 555 cumecs on the 14th, with a a catchment area of 1924 km^2.
Southland
Flooding
at
Southland
Cyclone Giselle caused the worst flooding in Southland since 1913.
The return of the cyclonic storm on the 12th caused heavy flooding in Southland.
Stock losses were severe. Several thousand sheep were drowned in the lower Mataura Valley.
The water was 1 m deep in streets.
Hundreds of people were left homeless.
20 bridges were washed out.
The most serious flooding occurred on the Mataura River and its tributaries due to a combination of melting snow and heavy rain on an already saturated catchment.
Civil Defence Emergency was declared in the Gore district, in Gore, Mataura and Wyndham. The state of emergency was still in force on the 15th.
Considerable damage was done to roads and bridges. On the Invercargill-Queenstown highway, a bridge was washed out on the afternoon of the 14th and on Highway 96 between Winton and Hedgehope there was a 40 ft gap where the road stopped and the Channel Bridge started.
Considerable damage was done to crops. Swedes and turnips were washed out of the ground by rushing water on some paddocks. Stacks of hay and silage were spoiled.
Thousands of acres of Southland farmlands were under water. Extensive fence damage occurred and pastures were badly silted. Damage to fences along the Mataura River could cost thousands of dollars to repair, with some carried away completely.
Thousands of sheep and cattle were marooned on high knobs of land. Most farmers were spared catastrophy by receiving adequate warning time.
Many famers were cut off without communication.
MCDEM stated that there were 1301 evacuees.
Flooding
at
Charlton
350 sheep were lost from a Charlton farm.
Flooding
at
Fairlight
The Mataura River at Fairlight reached a height of 2.64 m in April (normal height 0.90 m).
Flooding
at
Gore
300 people were evacuated in Gore and Mataura.
At Gore, the level of the Mataura River was falling slowly from 1:30am on the 15th.
100 sheep were lost from a Gore farm.
The damage to a Gore nursery and market garden was estimated at $3000 ($45,000 2008 dollars).
The Mataura River at Gore M.H. Bridge reached a gauge height of 3.962 m on the 14th.
The Mataura River at Gore M.H. Bridge had a peak discharge of 1,438 cumecs on the 14th, with a catchment area of 3465 km^2.
The Mataura River at Gore reached a height of 4.57 m in April (normal height 0.80 m).
Flooding
at
Gorge Road
The Mataura River at Gorge Road reached a height of 3.62 m in April.
Flooding
at
Hokonui Hills
The heaviest flooding came from streams rising in the Hokonuis.
Flooding
at
Kennington
The Waihopai River at Kennington H-Way Bridge reached a gauge height of 2.591 m on the 14th.
The Waihopai River at Kennington H-Way Bridge had a peak discharge of 48.1 cumecs on the 14th, with a catchment area of 152 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Knapdale
It was thought that 500 sheep were drowned on a Knapdale farm.
Flooding
at
Lumsden
The Oreti River at Lumsden C/B reached a height of 2.93 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
Flooding
at
Makarewa Junction
The Makarewa River at the Freezing Works Bridge reached a gauge height of 5.608 m on the 14th.
The Makarewa River at the Freezing Works Bridge had a peak discharge of 407 cumecs on the 14th, with a catchment area of 1041 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Makarewa River
The Makarewa River had a peak flow of 407.8 cumecs on the 14th.
Flooding
at
Mataura
The area of Mataura east of the river, upstream of the papermills, was flooded on the 14th and early 15th. The area west of the river was threatened early on the 15th when flood waters crossed the road near saw mill in the north end of town. Very extensive flooding was experienced on farmland.
80 homes in Mataura were evacuated on the 14th.
In the Selbourne Street area 11 homes were affected by flooding.
Considerable damage was done at the papermills and in Kana Street.
The Mataura River at Mataura Town Bridge reached a gauge height of 8.077 m on the 14th.
The Mataura River at Mataura Town Bridge had a peak discharge of 1,557 cumecs on the 14th, with a catchment area of 4087 km^2.
The Mataura River at the Mataura Borough had a peak discharge of 1416 cumecs on the 12th.
Flooding
at
Mataura Island
200-250 sheep were lost from a Mataura Island farm, and 30-50 sheep from other properties in same district.
Mataura Island and Titiroa were possibly the hardest hit areas.
The Mataura River at Mataura Island reached a height of 4.85 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
Flooding
at
Mataura River
The Mataura River at G. Simpson's reached a height of 3.40 m in April.
The Mataura River at S.L. Lobb's reached a height of 3.55 m in April.
Flooding
at
Otapiri Stream
Otapiri Stream at McBrides reached a gauge height of 3.758 m on the 13th (normal height 0.70 m).
Otapiri Stream at McBrides had a peak discharge of 80.2 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 109 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Parawa
The Mataura River at Parawa reached a height of 3.87 m in April (normal height 1.20 m).
The Mataura River at Jobs Ford-Parawa reached a gauge height of 3.581 m on the 13th.
The Mataura River at Jobs Ford-Parawa had a peak discharge of 275 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 728 km^2.
Flooding
at
Pyramid Hill
The Mataura River at Pyramid reached a height of 3.77 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
Flooding
at
Sunnyside station
The Waiau River at Sunnyside reached a height of 4.75 m in April (normal height 2.00 m).
Flooding
at
Titiroa
Mataura Island and Titiroa were possibly the hardest hit areas.
Flooding
at
Waikaia
The Waikaia River at Waikaia Town reached a height of 3.33 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
The township of Waikaia was isolated and it was thought the bridge across the Waikaia River had been washed out.
Flooding
at
Waikiwi Stream
Waikiwi Stream at Ferry Road reached a height of 3.12 m in April (normally tidal).
Flooding
at
Wallacetown
The Oreti River at the Riverton H-Way Bridge reached a gauge height of 3.841 m on the 16th.
The Oreti River at the Riverton H-Way Bridge had a peak discharge of 708 cumecs on the 16th, with a catchment area of 2202 km^2.
The Oreti River at Wallacetown reached a height of 3.64 m in April (normal height 1.40 m).
Flooding
at
Wyndham
700 people were evacuated in Wyndham on the 14th.
It was estimated that water had entered 90% of the houses and virtually all business premises.
The water was up to 1.5 m in some homes.
The water was up to 4 ft (1.2 m) deep in the main street.
Wyndham was a scene of desolation as the flood waters of the Mataura River and Mimihau Stream flowed through it. The township was officially a closed area.
The flood waters started to recede on the night of the 15th, after maintaining their depth from the 14th through to the afternoon of the 15th.
Flood waters backed up the Mimihau River and spilled over the Mataura highway. On the main road to Invercargill on the outskirts of Wyndham, the roadway resembled a weir as water poured across it, scouring out a large area on one side. In places the roads were badly scoured or the sealed surface was broken up.
The Mataura River at Wyndham reached a height of 4.51 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
Stewart Island
Multi Hazard
at
Putauhina Island
A 37-year-old man went missing on Hidden (Putauhina) Island, off Stewart Island, on the 9th while muttonbirding. It was believed he had been dashed against rocks in raging seas after falling over a 200-foot cliff.
Search attempts were frustrated by bleak weather and strong winds until the 14th.
References
- Author Unknown (2004). The Hauraki Gulf: State of the Environment Report 2004. Chapter 10: Coastal Hazards of the Gulf.
- Boon, K. (1995). Events in New Zealand History: The Cyclone Giselle.
- Brown, P.C.; Jones, S. Wind risk in the Bay of Plenty. Workshop on Wind damage in New Zealand Exotic Forests, Ministry of Forestery, FRI Bulletin 146.
- Headline: Flood Damage To Roads Cost $22,037.
- Coromandel and Mercury Bay Gazette, 31 July (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Civil Defence Declarations since 1 January 1963.
- Declared Civil Defence Emergencies.
- Environment Southland. Flood report July 2003.
- Gee, M. (1992). Wahine Storm Damage In Wellington 10 April 1968. Weather and Climate (1992) 12: 89-96.
- Grayland, E.C. (1978). More New Zealand Disasters.
- Headline: Wind Hazard.
- Hessell, J.W.D, Holloway, R.H.F, Knowles, D.G., Roberts, J.L. (1984). Scientific, Economic and Social Reviews of Natural Hazards in New Zealand. New Zealand National Commission For UNESCO, Wellington.
- Headline: Cyclone Giselle.
- http://library.christchurch.org.nz.
- Insurance Councils, The Cost of Weather Loses, Claims History (Updated 2004).
- Kerr, I.S. (1976). Tropical Storms and Hurricanes in the Southwest Pacific, November 1939 to April 1969. New Zealand Meteorological Service.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall to 31st May 2006.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall, Floods to 30 Sept 2005.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall, Floods to 31st July 2006
- Morris, B. (1987). New Zealand's Darkest Days, The country's worst disasters including: Mt Tarawera, The Wahine, Napier Earthquake, Mt Erebus, Tangiwai, Ballantyne's Fire.
- New Zealand Evacuations from 1 January 1886 to 1 January 2000. (MCDEM NZ Flood Record, 1847 - 1990).
- New Zealand Meteorological Service, Technicial Information Circular No.191, Extreme Wind Gusts.
- New Zealand's Nature Heritage, Hamlyn House, Auckland, Volume 6, Great Storms.
- New, D. Accounting for New Zealand Plantation's Risk to Wind Damage - facing the facts. Workshop on Wind damage in New Zealand Exotic Forests, Ministry of Forestery, FRI Bullrtin 146.
- Headline: Business as usual in Kelso as flood debris is cleared.
- Otago Daily Times, 16 April 1968.
- Headline: City homes in danger after rain.
- Otago Daily Times, 16 April 1968.
- Headline: Evacuees may return today.
- Otago Daily Times, 16 April 1968.
- Headline: No hope held for survival.
- Otago Daily Times, 16 April 1968.
- Headline: Thousands of sheep believed drowned in Mataura floods.
- Otago Daily Times, 16 April 1968.
- Owen, R.E. (1969). Hydrology Annual No.16, 1968, Part 1. Government Printer Wellington, Water and Soil Division, New Zealand.
- Owen, R.E. (1969). Hydrology Annual No.16, 1968. Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council. Wellington, NZ: The Ministry of Works.
- Saunders, W. (2000). Planning and Resources, Hazard and Emergency Management Section, Wairarapa Division, Wairarapa Storm Events 1880 - 1998, Technical Report No. 00/17.
- Shearer, A.R. (1969). New Zealand Official Yearbook, 1969, 74th Issue. Department of Statistics, Wellington, Government Printer.
- Headline: 87 m.p.h. Gales Hit Gisborne
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Apple Crop Damaged
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Lashed By Storm
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Three Inches Overnight
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Two Dead, Many Hurt As Wellington is Hit
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Unlikely To Be Felt Here
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Washed Across Room
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Studholme, W.P. Windthrow on the Canterbury Plains. Workshop on Wind damage in New Zealand Exotic Forests, Ministry of Forestery, FRI Bulletin 146.
- Surface Water Hydrology of the Mataura River Catchment.
- Headline: Severe Gales Hit Peninsula, Tropical Depression Leaves Trail of Flood and Damage.
- Thames Star and Hauraki Plains News, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Storm Damage in Whitianga Harbour.
- Thames Star and Hauraki Plains News, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: 70m.p.h. winds batter Western Bay.
- The Bay of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Cyclone's speed described as "fantastic" by Met. Officer.
- The Bay of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Milking delayed at Te Puke.
- The Bay of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Several roofs damaged.
- The Bay of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Wide area blacked out as storm hits city.
- The Bay Of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Cars were abandoned by dozen.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Child killed in bed.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Gigantic clash of two great storms.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Parliament windows go.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Southerly leaves Kingston like battle aftermath.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Two hurt as sheds collapse.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Wahine founders off Seatoun, but only one passenger now believed drowned.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Widespread damage caused in Hutt Valley.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Heartbreaking job for shattered Kingston residents.
- The Evening Post, April 11 1968.
- Headline: Storm could cost $100m.
- The Marlborough Express, 17 February 2004.
- Headline: Forest havoc in cyclone's wake.
- The Nelson Evening Mail, 13 March 1975.
- Headline: District Battens Down, Many Roads Cut.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Flash Flood On West Coast.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Houses Sandbagged as Floods Rise, Storm Sweeps South As Gales And Rain Hit North.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: South Pacific Weather at 6 p.m. yesterday.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Towns May Be Cut Off.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Landslide Leaves Buildings Poised On Brink.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thrusday) 1968.
- Headline: Cable Supply Cut From South.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Debris-Strewn Captial Licks Her Wounds.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Gigantic Clash Caused Record Blast.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: South Pacific Weather at 6 p.m. yesterday.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Trail Of Damage Left By Storm Ever To Hit N.Z.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Cyclone Wounds Deeply, Scars From One End of Country To Other.
- The New Zealand Herald, 13 April (Saturday) 1968.
- Headline: Forecasters Claim Storm Was the Worst Recorded in New Zealand.
- The New Zealand Herald, 13 April (Saturday) 1968.
- Headline: South Pacific Weather at 6 p.m. yesterday.
- The New Zealand Herald, 13 April (Saturday) 1968.
- Headline: South Pacific Weather at 6 p.m. yesterday.
- The New Zealand Herald, 9 April (Tuesday) 1968.
- Headline: Heathcote flood damage warning.
- The Press, 29 December 1997.
- Headline: Bad weather costs insurers $25m yearly.
- The Press, 8 January 2003.
- Headline: Heavy rain, high wind end long summer.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Aircraft wrecked, hanger shattered.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 11 April 1968.
- Headline: City homes lose roofs in fury of hurricane.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 11 April 1968.
- Headline: Gale blazes path of destruction.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 11 April 1968.
- Headline: … gorge highway - The flood in the Ohinemuri River through Karagahake Gorge.
- Waikato Times, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: The storm a tropical cyclone…
- Waikato Times, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Repairs satart as storm moves south.
- Waikato Times, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Many Bridges Out …
- Waikato Times, 15 April (Monday) 1968.
- Headline: Gales, heavy rain near North Island.
- Waikato Times, 9 April (Tuesday) 1968.
April 1968 New Zealand Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle
(
1968-04-09
)
Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle affected every region in New Zealand, with high winds, heavy rain, flooding, landslips and high seas. The interislander 'Wahine' sunk in Wellington Harbour during the storm, with the loss of 51 lives. Other casualties: one in Northland, two in Wellington due to high winds: a man who went missing on Stewart Island. Weather-related injuries were reported in Waikato, Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 7 days - From the 9th to the 15th of April.
Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle. Cyclone Giselle formed in the Coral Sea near the Soloman Islands, over 3000km north-west of New Zealand, on 5th April. The system moved in a southsoutheast direction, passing north of New Zealand. On the 9th, it passed along the east coast of the North Island from North cape, and after crossing Cook Strait the system travelled down the east coast of the South Island to Banks Peninsula, remaining close to the South Island for some days longer. The combination of a complex frontal zone, which extended from Tasmania, and a depression 800 km south-west of Campbell Island brought heavy rain to places. On the 12th, the cyclonic storm returned in a south-westerly direction and caused heavy flooding in Southland and West Otago.
The storm was the worst on record for many parts of New Zealand. It was classed as the most destructive to strike the country since the early days of settlement, exceeding in violence the storm of 2nd February 1936.
Insurance Industry Payouts totalled $3,500,000 ($52,750,000 2008 dollars).
1968 was the mostly costly year on record for the insurance industry (as at 2003).
High Wind / Gust
The North Island had no power from the South Island Cook Strait cable due to two faults. The cut in the Cook Strait cable supply was caused when high winds brought down lines from the Haywards substation in Wellington and also somewhere between Benmore and Fighting Bay in the South Island.
Heavy Rain
High rainfall occurred in Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
North Island
Flooding
at
North Island
Part of State Highway 2 between Waihi and Tauranga was washed away.
Maritime / Coastal
Small craft were driven ashore in areas from the Bay of Plenty to Wellington.
Northland
Multi Hazard
at
Northland
Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle reached Cape Reinga early on the morning of the 9th.
Three main highways were closed on the 9th. All roads to the Far North were affected by slips, subsidence or flooding.
The damage in Kaitaia and Dargaville was estimated at $150,000 ($2,260,000 2008 dollars).
The Ministry of Works believed that road damage in Northland would total $150,000 ($2,260,000 2008 dollars).
High Wind / Gust
High winds caused damage to many homes, buildings and farms.
Heavy Rain
Torrential rain fell in Northland on the 9th.
Northland received 26 in (66.04 cm) of rain in in less than two weeks.
Flooding
Extensive flooding occurred.
The Whangarei-Kaeo highway (State Highways 1 and 10) and the Whangarei-Kaikohe highway (State Highways 1 and 12) were flooded on the 9th.
Thousands of hectares of farmland were flooded.
Hundreds of stock were drowned.
Flooding
at
Awanui River
The Awanui River at the School Cut reached a gauge height of 8.108 m on the 10th.
The Awanui River at the School Cut had a peak discharge of 226 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 225 km^2.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bay of Islands
Three pleasure launches and one barge were thrown ashore and destroyed in the Bay of Islands.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cape Reinga
Cape Reinga recorded gusts of up to 160 km/hr.
Cape Reinga recorded a mean wind speed of 90 knots (167 km/hr).
High Wind / Gust
at
Dargaville
A large garage housing a tractor, a truck and car disintegrated at the height of the storm.
Flooding
at
Hikurangi Swamp
About 4800 hectares of the Hikurangi Swamp was under water.
About 10 ft (3 m) of water covered the ground in places.
Flooding
at
Kaeo
Water over the main road swept up nearly four feet (1.22 m) in half and hour on the evening of the 9th.
Flooding
at
Kaitaia
Homes in Kaitaia were surrounded by flood waters. Floodwaters caused sewers to overflow gully traps.
High Wind / Gust
A farmer was killed after being blown off a haystack in Kaitaia.
Winds were aroubd 25 knots (46 km/hr), gusting to 38 knots (70 km/hr) on the 9th.
Multi Hazard
Kaitaia was cut off by slips and flooded roads.
Landslide
at
Mangamuka Gorge
State Highway 1 through Mangamuka Gorge was covered by flood waters in two places.
Mangamuka Gorge was blocked by 30 landslips.
Flooding
at
Manganui River
The Manganui River at the Permanent Station reached a gauge height of 6.614 m on the 11th.
The Manganui River at the Permanent Station had a peak discharge of 128 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 417 km^2.
Flooding
at
Maropiu
The Kaihu River at Maropiu reached a gauge height of 5.365 m on the 9th.
The Kaihu River at Maropiu had a peak discharge of 382 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 163 km^2.
High Wind / Gust
at
Marsden Point
Marsden Point was battered by high winds on the 9th.
Landslide
at
Moerewa
There were three large subsidences on State Highway 1 near Moerewa.
Multi Hazard
at
Ninety Mile Beach
Two busloads of tourists were left stranded on Ninety Mile Beach.
Flooding
at
Opahi
Opahi Stream at the Pond reached a gauge height of 2.17 m on the 10th.
Opahi Stream at the Pond had a peak discharge of 30.3 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 10.4 km^2.
Flooding
at
Rangiahua
The highway was blocked at Rangiahua where floodwaters crossed the road and made it impassable.
Heavy Rain
at
Russell
Russell recorded nearly 3 in (7.62 cm) of rain over night on the 10th.
Maritime / Coastal
At least three pleasure launches and a large barge were washed ashore by heavy seas.
Flooding
at
Selwyn Flat
The Selwyn Swamp at Big Flat Road reached a gauge height of 0.863 m on the 10th.
The Selwyn Swamp at Big Flat Road had a peak discharge of 1.132 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 2.1 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Te Kao
Houses were inundated at Te Kao.
Multi Hazard
at
Whangarei
The southern and higher parts of Whangarei were without water on the 10th due to a break in the Maunu pipeline.
Auckland
Heavy Rain
at
Auckland
Auckland was drenched by a heavy downpour on the 9th.
Flooding
Streets and gutters were flooded and several road accidents occurred.
High Wind / Gust
High winds tore the roofs off many Auckland houses and uprooted trees.
Power lines were brought down by the storm.
Landslide
Roads were blocked by slips on the 10th.
Maritime / Coastal
The 195-tonne 'pirate' radio ship 'Tiri II', which was anchored near Great Brrier Island, was driven ashore by the storm and her hull was badly damaged. She also lost her $4000 ($60,300 2008 dollars), 160 ft transmitting antenna.
Heavy Rain
at
Auckland city
Auckland recorded 1.83 in (4.65 cm) of rain in 24 hours to 6pm on the 10th.
Landslide
Tons of clay smashed down on to the site of the new public library in Wellesley Street, leaving a building, the Leighton Driving School, on the brink of a 30-foot precipice.
High Wind / Gust
Gusts of 65 mph (105 km/hr) were recorded on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Little Barrier Island
There were gusts of up to 45 knots (83 km/hr) at Little Barrier at 11am on the 9th.
Flooding
at
Makarau River
The Makarau River at Dosing Strip reached a gauge height of 4.279 m on the 9th.
The Makarau River at Dosing Strip had a peak discharge of 72.2 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 48.4 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Waiwhiu Stream
Waiwhiu Stream at Dome Shadow reached a gauge height of 1.972 m on the 10th.
Waiwhiu Stream at Dome Shadow had a peak discharge of 21.7 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 8.03 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Waikato
Multi Hazard
at
Waikato
Roads in the Waikato were blocked by flood waters and slips.
The Ohinemuri County suffered damage totalling $10,000 ($151,000 2008 dollars), for repairs to scours, remetalling roads and clearing slips.
The Thames County suffered damage totalling nearly $13,000 ($196,000 2008 dollars), of which 75% was road damage.
Telecommunications with almost all towns on the Coromandel Peninsula were disrupted.
Heavy Rain
The Waitekauri-Shaftesbury area received the heaviest rainfalls in the Waikato.
Flooding
Flows in the Kauaeranga, Kirikiri, Puriri, Hikutaia and Komata Rivers were close to the highest known over the last 10 years.
Some roads were closed by flood waters from the Waihou River and hill streams.
The Waihou River rose to a level in the southern area of roughly 0.3 m lower than in 1966.
State Highway 2 between Paeroa and Waihi was closed by flood waters, and the was some undermining of the roadway.
Landslide
Considerable slipping occurred on relatively easy slopes.
Nine roads were closed by slips. State Highway 25A, the Kopu-Hikuai Highway, was closed due to slips. The Tapu-Coromandel road was closed by slips, with a large slip on the eastern side of Tapu Hill.
Multi Hazard
at
Coromandel
The estimated cost of the damage to county roads in the Coromandel County was $16,500 ($248,700 2008 dollars).
Heavy Rain
at
Elstow
Elstow recorded 60.0 mm (6.0 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Hikuai
Hikuai Settlement Road by the Tairua River was closed.
Flooding
at
Hikutaia
Huia Valley Road by the Hikutaia River was closed.
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Komata North-Hikutaia-Wainui area.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaihere
Kaihere recorded 73.7 mm (7.4 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Kakahu Stream
Kakahu Downs recorded 93.7 mm (9.4 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Karangahake
State Highway 2 through the Karangahake Gorge was closed.
The Ohinemuri River at Karangahake reached a gauge height of 6.096 m on the 10th.
The Ohinemuri River at Karangahape had a peak flow of 651 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 287 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Kauaeranga
Kauaeranga recorded 179.4 mm (17.9 cm) of rain.
Flooding
Kauaeranga Valley Road and Kauaeranga South Road by the Kauaeranga River were closed.
The Kauaeranga River at Smiths reached a gauge height of 5.547 m on the 10th.
The Kauaranga River at Smiths had a peak dicharge of 775 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 122 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Kauaeranga River
Rainfall in the upper reaches of the Kauaeranga River was 6.47 in (16.43 cm) in 24 hours.
Flooding
The Kauaeranga River at the Gauging Station reached a gauge height of 5.6 m at 3:15am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Kerepehi
Kerepehi recorded 50.8 mm (5.1 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Kiwitahi
Kiwitahi recorded 46.5 mm (4.7 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Kopu
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Warahoe and Kopu areas.
Heavy Rain
at
Mamaku
Mamaku recorded 134.5 mm (13.5 cm) of rain.
Multi Hazard
at
Marokopa
600 sheep died from exposure after shearing.
Heavy Rain
at
Matamata
Matamata recorded 73.3 mm (7.3 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Morrinsville
Morrinsville recorded 47.0 mm (4.7 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Mt Te Aroha
Te Aroha Mountain recorded 137.0 mm (13.7 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Ngatea
Ngatea recorded 44.5 mm (4.5 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Okauia
Okauia recorded 60.8 mm (6.1 cm) of rain.
Flooding
The Waihou River at Okauia Springs reached a gauge height of 5.2 m at 11:50am on the 10th.
The Waihou River at Okauia Springs had an estimated flow of 90 cumecs at 11:50am on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Omahu
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Omahu area.
Heavy Rain
at
Paeroa
Paeroa recorded 96.2 mm (9.6 cm) of rain.
Flooding
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Opukeko-Hubbard Roads area.
The Waihou River at Puke (bridge) reached a gauge height of 7.3 m at 10am on the 10th.
The Ohinemuri River at Paeroa reached a gauge height of 8.4 m at 5:30am on the 10th.
The Ohinemuri River at Paeroa had an estimaed flow of 540 cumecs at 5:30am on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Puketui
Puketui Road by the Tairua River was closed.
Flooding
at
Puriri
State Highway 26 by Puriri Stream was closed. The Puriri-Neavesville Road by Puriri Stream was also closed.
High Wind / Gust
at
Raglan
Several lanches and other small craft broke loss from their moorings in the harbour. Some were washed up on the beach.
Heavy Rain
at
Richmond Downs
Richmond Downs recorded 40.9 mm (4.1 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury recorded 162.4 mm (16.2 cm) of rain.
Flooding
The Waihou River at Shaftesbury reached a gauge height of 17.6 m at 10pm on the 10th.
The Waihou River at Shaftesbury had an estimated flow of 120 cumecs at 10pm on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Tahunaatara Stream
Tahunaatara Stream at Ohakuri Road reached a gauge height of 1.594 m on the 10th.
Tahunaatara Stream at Ohakuri Road had a peak discharge of 35.5 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 210 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Tairua
Tairua Forest recorded 104.9 mm (10.5 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Tauwhare
Tauwhare recorded 53.4 mm (5.3 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Aroha
Te Aroha recorded 4.93 in (12.52 cm) of rain in 24 hours ending 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
The Waihou River at Te Aroha Bridge reached a gauge height of 8.062 m on the 11th.
The Waihou River at Te Aroha Bridge had a peak discharge of 156 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 1121 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Puru
Puru recorded 88.9 mm (8.9 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Thames
Thames recorded 3.10 in (7.87 cm) of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
State Highway 25 by the Kauaeranga River was closed.
High Wind / Gust
Telephone toll services out of Thames on the 10th, were restricted to single lines to Paeroa and Ngatea. No lines were working to Auckland, Hamilton, Coromandel and Whitianga.
Flooding
at
Tirohia
Surface flooding occurred for some days in the Tirohia-Rotokohu area.
The Waihou River at Tirohia reached a gauge height of 3.444 m on the 12th.
The Waihou River at Tirohia had a peak discharge of 127 cumecs on the 12th, with a catchment area of 1217 km^2.
High Wind / Gust
at
Totara
Trees and chimneys were blown down in Totara, causing damage to power and telephone lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waihi
The roofs of several houses were badly damaged. Shop verandahs in the town were also blown down.
Power poles and wires were reported to be down. A power cut plunged the town into almost total darkness for nearly the entire night.
Heavy Rain
Waihi recorded 104.1 mm (10.4 cm) of rain.
Flooding
Frankton Road was closed due to flood waters.
Flooding
at
Waimakariri Stream
Waimakariri Stream at Donovans Bridge reached a gauge height of 0.9 m on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Waiomou Stream
Waiomou Stream at Leonards bridge reached a gauge height of 1.5 m at 7:30am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Wairakau
Wairakau recorded 137.1 mm (13.7 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Waitawheta
Deans Road was closed due to flood waters.
Heavy Rain
at
Waiteariki Stream
Waiti-Ariki Waterworks recorded 127.0 mm (12.7 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Waitekauri
Waitekauri recorded 310.7 mm (31.1 cm) of rain.
Flooding
at
Whangamata
Wentworth Valley Road by the Wentworth River was closed.
Heavy Rain
at
Whangapoua
Whangapoua recorded 116.8 mm (11.7 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Whiritoa
Whiritoa Hill recorded 98.2 mm (9.8 cm) of rain.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whitianga
High seas in the Whitianga harbour left a trail of damage. Two fishing boats were washed ashore and several dinghies were also missing. Heavy seas also threw large deposits of shell on the shoreward side of Buffalo Beach Road.
Bay of Plenty
High Wind / Gust
at
Bay of Plenty
Western Boundary forest stands suffered wind damage.
Roads in the Rotorua, Whakatane and Taupo areas were scattered with large branches and falling trees had partly blocked some.
Flooding
Mangarewa Stream at Sounders Farm reached a gauge height of 6.44 m on the 10th.
Mangarewa Stream at Sounders Farm had a peak discharge of 456 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 179 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Maritime / Coastal
Pleasure craft at Mount Maunganui, Katikati and Bowentown were damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Katikati
At Katikati, the roof was torn off classrooms at a school and several houses at the northern end of town lost sections of their roofs. Barns and milking sheds also lost roofs. At least one cowshed was extensively damaged.
Large trees were torn out of the ground.
Telephone and power services were severely disrupted throughout the Katikati area.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kawerau
The roof of the new St John Ambulance hall was blown off.
High Wind / Gust
at
Maketu
Three houses were on the point of losing their roofs. At least one house moved off its foundations.
Flooding
Several houses near the lagoon were flooded and the occupants had to leave.
Maritime / Coastal
Several dinghies were smashed by the force of the wind and waves.
180 acres (73 ha) were under water after high tides and strong winds flooded farmland.
High Wind / Gust
at
Maraenui Marae
Maraenui school was demolished.
High Wind / Gust
at
Opotiki
An Opotiki church was damaged.
A 40 ft fishing boat was swept from its mooring, lifted across a road and dumped in a paddock.
Multi Hazard
Three cows were killed when a tree fel on them and a large number of sheep were drowned in sea water.
Flooding
at
Rotorua
Utuhina Stream at the State Highway Bridge reached a gauge height of 1.859 m on the 10th.
Utuhina Stream at the State Highway Bridge had a peak discharge of 11.4 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 59.6 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Multi Hazard
at
Taneatua
Rail services on the Taneatua line were cut.
High Wind / Gust
at
Tauranga
The cyclone approached Tauranga at more than 30 knots (56 km/hr) on the 9th.
The winds damaged house roofs in Tauranga and farm buildings collapsed. The roof of a house in Otumoetai was completely blown off.
Winds in the Tauranga area gusted to more than 80 knots (148 km/hr).
At Tauranga Airport the winds gusted to 52 knots (96 km/hr).
The power supply to Tauranga was completely cut for almost half an hour on the 9th after a tree branch blew across the 50,000 volt line bringing power from the national grid.
There were tele-communication failures in the Tauranga area.
Maritime / Coastal
Seas whipped inland across pastures and wreaked havoc on the ocean beach foreshore.
Boats were blown from their moorings and several sunk.
Tauranga experienced a storm surge of 0.9 m.
Multi Hazard
The air pressure dropped down to 970 millibars (97.0 hPa) - a record low.
Flooding
Heavy rain flooded some business premises.
There was a washout on the Tauranga-Waihi Road.
High Wind / Gust
at
Te Kaha
Te Kaha School was demolished.
Flooding
at
Te Matai
The Kaituna River at Te Matai reached a gauge height of 2.685 m on the 10th.
The Kaituna River at Te Matai had a peak discharge of 117 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 948 km^2.
High Wind / Gust
at
Te Puke
Barns and milking sheds in Te Puke lost roofs.
Farmers were unable to do morning milking due to the loss of electricity.
1000 phones were out in Te Puke.
Flooding
at
Waiari Stream
Waiari Stream at Muttons reached a gauge height of 3.536 m on the 10th.
Waiari Stream at Muttons had a peak discharge of 55.2 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 69.9 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Waihi Beach
A woman was injured when waves washed through a beach cottage at Waihi.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Waiotahi
At Waiotahi, 200 hectares (2 km^2) of coastal farmland was under saltwater.
Farm animals drowned.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whakatane
Two fishing boats were wrecked at the wharf.
In the rural area, huge seas were driven inland, flooding many hectares of coastal farmland.
Hundreds of cattle and sheep were drowned.
Huge waves smashed a concrete retaining wall and washed logs across the road.
High Wind / Gust
Some homes in Whakatane lost their roofs, and the childrens ward at the hospital had half its roof ripped away.
Ten patients from the hospital were evacuated.
Many farm buildings were flattened.
Whakatane Aerodrome recorded a peak wind gust of 79 knots (146 km/hr) on the 10th, at 080 degrees true.
Gisborne
High Wind / Gust
at
Gisborne
Winds of 75 knots (139 km/hr) were recorded in Gisborne on the morning of the 10th. It was the fiercest gale in living memory.
A school roof was lost.
Orchards were damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gisborne city
The hospital was damaged, and patients had to be hurriedly moved from it. 21 patients were evacuated from the isolation ward at Cook Hospital. Part of the roof of ward eight was ripped off and flung several hundred yards away.
Gisborne Aerodrome recorded a peak wind gust of 76 knots (141 km/hr) on the 10th, at 050 degrees true.
The gale tore the roofs off homes, disrupted power supplies and telephone communications. It flattened poultry farm buildings, ripped out countless trees, blocked many roads, and shattered windows in some homes.
Hawke's Bay
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawke's Bay
In Hawke's Bay, houses lost their roofs and fences and farm buildings were flattened.
Thousands of bushels of fruit were torn from trees.
Multi Hazard
Roads and railway lines were blocked by slips and fallen trees.
Flooding
A number of families were evacuated due to flooding.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hastings
Orchards were damaged in Hastings. More than a quarter of a million bushels of apples, the bulk of the Granny Smith variety, were shaken from trees overnight on the 9th in the Hastings district. Granny Smith apples were estimated to crop up to half a million cases this season and a preliminary survey showed that between a quarter and a half of the crop was lost.
High Wind / Gust
at
Mahia Beach
A cottage at Mahia beach was blown to pieces.
High Wind / Gust
at
Napier
A Napier house was torn in two by the wind, several others lost roofs, and many houses along Marine Parade had windows blown in.
Taranaki
Heavy Rain
at
Taranaki
North Taranaki received nearly 3 in (7.62 cm) of rain overnight on the 9th to the 10th.
Flooding
No flooding was reported.
High Wind / Gust
Westerly winds gusted up to 43 mph (69 km/hr).
Multi Hazard
The centre of the tropical storm bypassed the Taranaki region.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Multi Hazard
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
The backlash of the tropical depression that swept the East Coast.
High Wind / Gust
A southerly gale blew in the Wanganui-Turakina-Marton area for three hours on the 10th.
Plantations in the Manawatu, Rangitikei and Wanganui districts were stripped.
State Highway 4 between Wanganui and Raetihi was blocked for about two hours on the 10th by fallen trees.
Three men were taken to hospital for treatment after they were blown over by strong gusts.
The winds peaked at 90 mph (145 km/hr) on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
The high winds were accompanied by torrential rain.
High Wind / Gust
at
Levin
Three people were injured when a car was whipped off the highway at Levin.
High Wind / Gust
at
Ohakea
Ohakea recorded a peak wind gust of 84 knots (156 km/hr) on the 10th, at 270 degrees true.
Multi Hazard
at
Okoia
Okoia School closed on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Opiki
At Opiki, lines of Macrocarpa trees were flattened.
Multi Hazard
at
Upokongaro
Upokongaro School closed on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wanganui
Wanganui Aerodrome recorded a peak wind gust of 83 knots (154 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
Two homes in Koromiko Road lost portions of their roofs and the Castlecliff town hall lost some roofing iron. Two huge pine trees fell across a house. Windows were broken and tv aerials twisted.
A motorist was trapped beneath a fallen tree in Ridgeway Street.
At Wanganui Airport, about half of the hanger roof was stripped by the wind and windows were smashed at the Terminal. Huts and other small buildings at the airport were shattered by wind. A Cessna 185 suffered severe damage, damage was done to a DC3 rudder and elevator, and an open hanger sheltering an Auster collapsed, wrecking the aircraft.
Wanganui Airport was closed until 1.30pm on the 10th.
At Wanganui Racecourse, the main grandstand lost a third of its roof. Two gables disappeared in a gust, the Leger Street stand lost a wall, and roofing from stables was flung 50 yards (45 m) across Purnell Street. An iron fence along 200 yards (180 m) of Purnell Street was a complete write off.
The damage to Wanganui Racecourse was estimated at $20,000 ($301,000 2008 dollars).
Highways around the city were affected by fallen trees.
Toll and telegraph communications to and from the city were cut for about ten-and-a-half hours.
Powerlines were cut by fallen trees and roofing iron.
Orchards were stripped of apples, wind breaks were uprooted, and fruit trees were smashed.
About $1000 ($15,000 2008 dollars) of damage was done to Rasmussen Ltd's Upper Aramoho nursery when two shelter belts were uprooted.
A pine plantation lost several thousand dollars when about 300 trees were destroyed in the storm.
The gales in Wanganui were the severest in the city's memory.
Multi Hazard
At the Art Gallery, 12 skylights were smashed, causing flooding on the floor. Window glazing in Memorial Hall gave way in the high winds, causing rain to get inside.
Castlecliff School closed on the 10th. Wanganui Boys College closed at lunchtime.
Heavy Rain
The Crematorium was leaking.
Wanganui recorded 2.20 in (5.6 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 6pm on the 10th.
Multi Hazard
at
Whangaehu
Whangaehu School closed on the 10th.
Wellington
Multi Hazard
at
Wellington
Ex-tropical Cyclone Giselle was intensified over Wellington on the morning of the 10th, when it met a bad southerly gale moving up from the West Coast as a front of cold air from a depression south of New Zealand.
Nine schools in the area closed on the 10th.
$162.9 million (2002 dollars) of insurance claims were made in the aftermath of the Wahine storm ($194,900,000 2008 dollars).
3657 insurance claims were made for storm damage in the Wellington region.
Loss of the "Wahine" Payouts totalled $10,000,000 ($150,700,000 2008 dollars).
The Earthquake and War Damage Commision (EWDC) payouts totalled $625,170 ($9,422,200 2008 dollars), for the 72% of claims paid out.
The mean payment from the EWDC was $237 ($3570 2008 dollars).
The largest single payment from the EWDC was $441,128 ($6,648,400 2008 dollars) for a claim in the Rongotai industrial area.
High Wind / Gust
Wellington experienced full hurricane force winds for several hours on the 10th.
The winds were the strongest yet to be recorded in any builtup area in New Zealand.
In the Wairarapa, trees and sign posts were blown down on the 10th.
Power and telephone lines were blown down.
Road and rail travel was disrupted and all city council trolley buses were off the streets for most of the day. Many roads in Wellington city suburbs were impassable because of downed trees and branches, flooding, and fallen power and trolley bus lines.
Many schools decided to close on the the morning of the 10th but pupils were not allowed to walk or cycle home due to the danger of flying debris.
The winds were from the southsouth-west direction.
A 7-year-old girl was killed on the 10th when roofing iron from a neighbouring house was blown through a bedroom window, as she and her sister lay in their beds. The children were at Bedford Street, Northland, a suburb of Wellington.
The girl's 9-year-old sister received fractures to her skull.
An elderly woman died in Wellington on the 10th when her small home was enveloped by wind-whipped flames.
An elderly man died on the way to hospital after being bowled over by the wind.
More than 80 people were treated at hospital for various injuries. Most were victims of flying debris.
A great deal of damage was done to places exposed to the south.
Damage to 2000 state houses was placed at $170,000 ($2,560,000 2008 dollars).
High Wind / Gust
at
Berhampore
Athletic Park was extensively damaged. Most of the main stand roof was blown away and one end of the stand suffered badly.
High Wind / Gust
at
Carterton
A farmer was taken to hospital after being struck by a flying tree branch in Carterton.
High Wind / Gust
at
Cook Strait
The combined force of the two cyclones stirred up incredible winds in Cook Strait.
Hurricane force winds reached 275 km/hr.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Eastbourne
Eastbourne was cut off from the city of Wellington as heavy seas washed over Marine Drive.
High Wind / Gust
at
Gracefield
Gracefield recorded a peak gust of 98 knots (181 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hawkins Hill
Hawkins Hill recorded gusts of up to 235 km/hr on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hutt River
The winds in the Hutt Valley were less severe.
In the Hutt Valley factory and house roofing was blown off. Felt and Textiles (NZ) Ltd lost a section of its roofing and Sunbeam (NZ) Ltd lost a shelter cover. Numerous houses in various parts of the Hutt Valley suffered damaged roofs.
The majority of homes in the Hutt Valley were without power on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Johnsonville
Two men were severely injured in separate accidents in Johnsonville, in which sheds collapsed in the wind on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kelburn
Kelburn (elevation 125 m) recorded a peak gust of 107 knots (198 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kingston
Kingston received the worst property damage from the storm. 98 houses lost parts of their roofs. Six or more houses in Kingston Heights were vitually demolished, three being torn completely apart and flattened, and 20 others were de-roofed. Dozens of houses were left with shattered windows, and light fixtures and other unfixed items were also shattered. The list of damaged properties was approaching 200.
Efforts to evacuate the area were made later in morning on the 10th. About 56 people were evacuated from the area.
Roofing iron and slates littered every street, along with torn wires, fencing, letter boxes, tree branches, rubbish bins and tar paper.
Three ambulances and a truck were blown onto their sides when they tried to go into the area.
Heavy Rain
After roofs were ripped off, rain poured into houses, ruining furnishings and carpets.
High Wind / Gust
at
Lower Hutt
The Lower Hutt area lost its electricity supply for an hour on the morning of the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Lyall Bay
An ambulance, two trucks and several cars were blown onto the beach at Lyall Bay. The force of the wind caused paint to be sandblasted off several cars and some had their windscreens shattered.
Flooding
at
Martinborough
The Ruamahanga River at Waihenga (bridge) reached a gauge height of 4.084 m on the 10th.
The Ruamahanga River at Waihenga (bridge) had a peak discharge of 843 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 2341 km^2.
High Wind / Gust
at
Oteranga Bay
Near Oteranga Bay gusts of up to 267 km/hr were recorded on the 10th.
Oteranga Bay anemometer (173 m above sea level) recorded wind speeds of 98 kts (181 km/hr).
Oteranga Bay (elevation 174 m) recorded a peak gust of 131 knots (243 km/hr) on the 10th, at 220 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Paraparaumu
Paraparaumu Aerodrome recorded a peak gust of 93 knots (172 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Petone
72 cars were sitting on the side of the road between Petone and Kaiwharawhara, some of the which had been abandoned.
General Motors at Petone lost its roof.
Parts of Petone industrial areas were without power all morning on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Seatoun
At Seatoun, more than 20 cars and vans were blown into a heap by the wind. The roof of one house was peeled off and hurled through a neighbour's window.
The damage in Seatoun amounted to $40,000 ($603,000 2008 dollars).
Flooding
at
Upper Hutt
Severe flooding occurred in Upper Hutt.
A State of Civil Defence Emergency was declared.
High Wind / Gust
Five shop verandahs between Royal Street and Pine Avenue were dropped.
The Hutt railway was out of action and the Western Hutt Road was usable only in emergencies. Many cars were abandoned on the road.
Landslide
at
Wainuiomata
Slips isolated 12,000 Wainuiomata residents.
Flooding
The Wainui-o-mata River at Morton Dam reached a gauge height of 1.006 m on the 10th.
The Wainui-o-mata River at Morton Dam had a peak discharge of 79.24 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 33.4 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Heavy Rain
at
Wellington City
Wellington recorded 2.9 in (7.37 cm) of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
The winds blew out a number of windows in the Parliament buildings, uprooted large trees in the grounds and blew down fences.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour recorded winds of 120-160 km/hr on the 10th.
Maritime / Coastal
The 9000-ton Interisland steamer "Wahine" foundered in the harbour entrance, rolling over and hitting the bottom off Seatoun on the 10th. With severe underwater damage, the Wahine drifted helplessly for hours before the end.
51 lives were lost from the Wahine.
Huge seas boiling down the capital's harbour drove several yachts ashore.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellington International Airport
Wellington Aerodrome recorded a peak gust of 101 knots (187 km/hr) on the 10th, at 210 degrees true.
Wellington Airport recorded sustained (mean) wind speeds of 70 kts (130 km/hr).
Marlborough
Heavy Rain
at
Marlborough
Extremely heavy rain fell in the western portion of the Wairau Catchment, in a line through the Goulter, Branch and Leatham Catchments.
Flooding
The Wairau River had a peak flow of 3,000 cumecs.
Flooding
at
Bartletts Creek
Bartletts Creek at North Bank Bridge reached a gauge height of 119.07 m on the 9th.
Bartletts Creek at North Bank Bridge had a peak discharge of 228 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 73.6 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Benhopai Dam
Benhopai Dam recorded 17.0 mm (1.7 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Benhopai Dam recorded 61.3 mm (6.1 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Benhopai Dam recorded 78.2 mm (7.8 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Blenheim
Blenheim recorded 4.3 mm (0.4 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Blenheim recorded 46.9 mm (4.7 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Blenheim recorded 51.3 mm (5.1 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
The Blenheim-West Coast highway was cut when the Branch River washed away two and a half chains (30 m) of bridge.
Heavy Rain
at
The Branch station
The Branch recorded an average rainfall intensity of 8.1 mm (0.8 cm) per hour on the 9th.
The Branch recorded 92.7 mm (9.3 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
The Branch recorded 133.5 mm (13.4 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
The Branch recorded 226.1 mm (22.6 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
The Branch River at the Recorder reached a gauge height of 6.949 m on the 9th.
The Branch River at the Recorder had a peak discharge of 1217 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 580 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Coatbridge station
Stopbanks on the Wairau River from Langley Dale to Coatbridge were overtopped.
Flooding
at
Craiglochart station
The Waihopai River at Craiglochart reached a gauge height of 163.861 m on the 9th.
The Waihopai River at Craiglocharthad a peak discharge of 444 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 764 km^2.
Heavy Rain
at
Deep Creek
Deep Creek recorded 23.4 mm (2.3 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Deep Creek recorded 174.2 mm (17.4 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Deep Creek recorded 187.6 mm (18.8 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Fabians Creek
Fabians Valley recorded 58.4 mm (5.8 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Fabians Valley recorded 99.1 mm (9.9 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Fabians Valley recorded 157.4 mm (15.7 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Lake Grassmere
Lake Grassmere recorded a peak gust of 83 knots (154 km/hr) on the 10th, at 180 degrees true.
Heavy Rain
at
Lake Rotoiti
Lake Rotoiti recorded 17.8 mm (1.8 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Lake Rotoiti recorded 90.4 mm (9.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Lake Rotoiti recorded 107.0 mm (10.7 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Leatham station
Leatham recorded 53.3 mm (5.3 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th, although the gauge overflowed.
Leatham recorded 252.7 mm (25.3 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th, although the gauge overflowed.
Leatham recorded 306.0 mm (30.6 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Onamalutu River
Onamalutu recorded 38.1 mm (3.8 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Onamalutu recorded 109.2 mm (10.9 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Onamalutu recorded 147.3 mm (14.7 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
at
Pine Valley Stream
Pine Valley Stream at the Slope Area Reach reached a gauge height of 176.507 m on the 9th.
Pine Valley Stream at the Slope Area Reach had a peak discharge of 93.4 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 27.7 km^2.
Flooding
at
Pukaka Drain
The Wairau River at the Pukaka Floodgates reached a gauge height of 5.09 m on the 10th.
The Wairau River at the Pukaka Floodgates had a peak discharge of 614 cumecs on the 10th. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Renwick
Water flowed through the old Conders Groyne and flowed over the state highway at the County Crusher.
Flooding
at
Saltwater Stream
The Wairau River works from Waihopai to Saltwater Creek suffered the most serious damage, with 60 m badly damaged or destroyed and 140 m requiring topping up.
Flooding
at
Spring Creek
Willow protection along the Wairau River bank adjacent to Spring Creek was destroyed for 20 m.
Flooding
at
Timms Creek
Timms Creek at the Slope Area Reach reached a gauge height of 243.688 m on the 9th.
Timms Creek at the Slope Area Reach had a peak discharge of 137 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 34.2 km^2.
Flooding
at
Top Valley Stream
Top Valley Stream at the Slope Area Reach reached a gauge height of 304.434 m on the 9th.
Top Valley Stream at the Slope Area Reach had a peak discharge of 187 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 78 km^2.
Flooding
at
Tuamarina
The Wairau River at Tuamarina reached a gauge height of 6.501 m on the 10th.
The Wairau River at Tuamarinahad a peak discharge of 2972 cumecs on the 10th, with a catchment area of 3432 km^2.
From Ferry Bridge downstream, some bank slumping occurred on the Wairau River. Major damage was done on Peninsular Island, where some 200 m of heavy willow bank protection needed to be replaced with rock. Damage to the river works between Tuamarina and Waihopai was comparatively light.
Heavy Rain
at
Wairau Valley
Wairau Valley recorded 29.9 mm (3.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Wairau Valley recorded 72.1 mm (7.2 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Wairau Valley recorded 102.1 mm (10.2 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Heavy Rain
at
Wye River
Wye (Charlies Rest) recorded 44.2 mm (4.4 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Wye (Charlies Rest) recorded 95.0 mm (9.5 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Wye (Charlies Rest) recorded 139.2 mm (13.9 cm) of rain in the 48 hours to 9am on the 10th.
Flooding
The Wye River at Thomson Gorge reached a gauge height of 387.148 m on the 9th.
The Wye River at Thomson Gorge had a peak discharge of 58 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 43.5 km^2.
Tasman-Nelson
High Wind / Gust
at
Tasman-Nelson
In the Nelson region, 20 million feet (6.1 million metres) of timber was recovered from damaged pockets spread over 5000 acres. The operation took three years to complete.
Multi Hazard
at
Golden Bay
Floodwaters swept over several roads in Golden Bay on the morning of the 9th after a night of heavy rain and gale force winds.
Flooding
at
Riwaka River South Branch
The Riwaka South Branch at Mosses Bush reached a gauge height of 1.768 m on the 9th.
The Riwaka South Branch at Mosses Bush had a peak discharge of 64.5 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 48.7 km^2.
West Coast
Multi Hazard
at
West Coast
The rail link via the Otira tunnel was closed. Four trains were stranded on the coast.
The worst highway damage was between Greymouth and Westport. Several spans of the Big Totara Bridge were washed away and many slips blocked the road.
Flooding
Hundreds of sheep drowned in the Mawheraiti-Waimunga areas in what was described as the worst floods in living memory.
Heavy Rain
at
Greymouth
Greymouth recorded 4.73 in (12.0 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.
Greymouth recorded over 2 in (5.1 cm) of rain in the hour from 8am-9am on the 9th.
Multi Hazard
The damage to Greymouth properties was estimated at thousands of dollars.
Flooding
Greymouth was awash on the 9th, following a cloudburst which caused the evacuation of some houses.
Sawyers Creek at High Street Bridge reached a gauge height of 2.972 m on the 9th.
Sawyers Creek at High Street Bridge had a peak discharge of 72.2 cumecs on the 9th, with a catchment area of 16.6 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Four schools were closed on the 9th because of surface flooding.
Landslide
The rain brought down many slips.
Canterbury
Multi Hazard
at
Canterbury
Thousands of sheep drowned or died of exposure. In North Canterbury several hundred newly-shorn sheep died from exposure.
Hundreds of homes were damaged by flooding, wind and landslides.
High Wind / Gust
Canterbury experienced a south-westerly gale on the 10th.
Glasshouses were destroyed.
Orchards were stripped.
Significant damage was done to forests in Canterbury. 500 hectares of forest was destroyed. 1000 ha of the Selwyn Plantation Board and Eyrewell Forests were damaged.
Canterbury recorded a maximum wind speed of 130 km/hr
Heavy Rain
Rain was very heavy south of Christchurch.
Flooding
Market gardens were flooded.
Two cars were swept off a highway into a flooded paddock and the occupants had to be pulled to safety.
Reynolds Stream at Brankins Bridge reached a gauge height of 1.329 m on the 11th.
Reynolds Stream at Brankins Bridge had a peak discharge of 10.5 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 4.35 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Although the cyclone veered seawards, extensive flooding occurred on rivers south of the Waitaki.
Snow / Ice
Snow started falling at Lewis Pass, Porters Pass and Craigieburn after a severe drop in temperature in inland Canterbury.
High Wind / Gust
at
Ashley Forest
Large areas of the Ashley State Forest were badly damaged.
High Wind / Gust
at
Banks Peninsula
Very high winds battered Banks Peninsula on the 14th.
Heavy Rain
at
Christchurch
Christchurch recorded 5 in (12.7 cm) of rain from the 10th to the morning of the 13th.
Flooding
Hundreds of homes were flooded above floor level when the Heathcote and Avon Rivers breached their banks.
About 130 families were evacuated along the Heathcote River and at Sumner and South Brighton.
Cashmere Stream at the Weir reached a gauge height of 1.167 m on the 12th.
Cashmere Stream at the Weir had a peak discharge of 4.75 cumecs on the 12th, with a catchment area of 2.18 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Hoon Hay Stream at the Weir reached a gauge height of 1.204 m on the 12th.
Hoon Hay Stream at the Weir had a peak discharge of 5.15 cumecs on the 12th, with a catchment area of 3.26 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Deep Creek at the Carlton Road Culvert reached a gauge height of 0.351 m on the 11th.
Deep Creek at the Carlton Road Culvert had a peak discharge of 1.8 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 3.73 km^2.
Extensive urban flooding occurred in the Sumner area and much of suburban Christchurch on the 14th.
High Wind / Gust
Christchurch recorded a gust of 82 mph (132 km/hr) just before 9am on the 11th.
House roofs were torn off and windows blown in. In the Port Hills some houses were damaged almost beyond repair by the wind.
In Horotane Valley Road 30 huge glasshouses and the tomatoes inside them were destoyed.
Hundreds of trees were uprooted. Shops and buses lost their roofs. Fences, garages and windows were smashed. Power poles were toppled.
A man was killed on the night of the 10th when a tree was blown down on him on his property.
Multi Hazard
The storm caused damage estimated at $500,000 ($7,535,700 2008 dollars).
Christchurch Internation Airport was closed on the morning of the 11th and 600 passengers were affected.
Multi Hazard
at
Ellesmere
At Ellesmere, 3000 sheep perished.
Flooding
at
Leeston
At Leeston, 10,000 fowls were drowned.
Flooding
at
Little River
Little River families had to be rescued when the settlement was flooded.
Multi Hazard
at
Lyttelton
The storm was the worst in living memory at Lyttleton.
Flooding
at
Otemata River
The Otemata River at the Pumphouse reached a gauge height of 1.555 m on the 13th.
The Otemata River at the Pumphouse had a peak discharge of 136 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 668 km^2.
Flooding
at
Rockburn
Rocky Gully Stream at Rockburn reached a gauge height of 1.204 m on the 13th.
Rocky Gully Stream at Rockburn had a peak discharge of 20.1 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 22.8 km^2.
Flooding
at
Silverton station
The Orari River at Silverton reached a gauge height of 2.774 m on the 13th.
The Orari River at Silverton had a peak discharge of 228 cumecs on the 13th, with a cachment area of 521 km^2.
Flooding
at
Skipton Reserve
The Opuha River at Skipton reached a gauge height of 2.24 m on the 13th.
The Opuha River at Skipton had a peak discharge of 113 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 484 km^2.
Flooding
at
Whitecliffs
The Selwyn River at Whitecliffs reached a gauge height of 1.228 m on the 11th.
The Selwyn River at Whitecliffs had a peak discharge of 33.1 cumecs on the 11th, with a catchment area of 151 km^2.
Otago
Heavy Rain
at
Otago
Widespread rain occurred on catchments still wet from the March storm. Only the very exposed areas on the coast between Oamaru and the Otago Peninsula recieved heavy rain.
Nearly 355 mm (35.5 cm) of rain fell between the 10th and 13th.
The highest daily rainfall figure was 155.2 mm (15.5 cm) of rain on the 11th.
Flooding
Widespread flooding was experienced generally. There was widespread flooding in the Pomahaka River.
Flooding
at
Blue Mountains
There was very heavy damage and erosion to tributaries from the Blue Mountains.
Flooding
at
Conical Hill
There was a washout on the Tapanui branch railway line near Conical Hill.
Flooding
at
Crookston
At the top end of Crookston, Swift Stream flattened seven lengths of fence.
There was widespread flooding in the Crookston Burn and Swift Creek on the 13th.
Landslide
at
Dunedin
Late on the night of the 15th, a slip occurred on Ivanhoe Road after heavy rain, spilling mud, gorse and broom on to nearly the whole width of the road below. Two houses on a high section were undermined and left a few feet from the edge of the slip, in danger of crashing on to Portobello Road.
At 11pm, the road was covered in mud for a width of 15-20 ft (4.6-6.1 m), and was only passable by small cars, which inched their way along the slip.
Slips came down on to three houses in Glen Road, Green Island. The subsidence occurred on Leckhampton Court.
Leckhampton Court was closed to traffic.
Flooding
at
East Taieri
More than 14.6 ha of East Taieri was flooded, and a much larger area was subjected to temporary inundation.
Flooding
at
Heriot
Large stock losses occurred on a Heriot farm.
Quite severe damage was done in the Heriot township.
Flooding
at
Kelso
Kelso was flooded on the 13th. By the morning of the 15th the flood waters had almost gone from the township, with only a few large lakes remaining.
Most properties that were flooded had 1/4-1/2 in (0.6-1.3 cm) of silt left over the floors.
Quite severe damage was done in the Kelso township. The damage to one store was estimated at hundreds of dollars.
Stock losses were negligible.
Flooding
at
Kyeburn
The Kye Burn at M.H. Bridge, Kyeburn, reached a gauge height of 2.377 m on the 13th.
The Kye Burn at M.H. Bridge, Kyeburn, had a peak discharge of 127 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 376 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Lovells Flat
Lovells Creek at Lovells Flat reached a gauge height of 1.676 m on the 13th.
Lovells Creek at Lovells Flat had a peak discharge of 21.5 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 39.9 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Patearoa Power Station
The Taieri River at Patearoa-Paerau Bridge reached a gauge height of 2.057 m on the 15th.
The Taieri River at Patearoa-Paerau Bridge had a peak discharge of 60 cumecs on the 15th, with a catchment area of 738 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Pomahaka River
The return of the cyclonic storm on the 12th caused heavy flooding in the upper part of the Pomahaka catchment.
Flooding
at
Silver Stream
There was a record flood in the Silver Stream.
Flooding
at
Spylaw Burn
There was widespread flooding in the Spylaw area on the 13th.
Flooding
at
Tapanui
In the Tapanui area considerable damage was done to fences.
Flooding
at
Tokomairiro River
In the Tokomairiro Rating Area, extensive flooding occurred, particularly in the Milton Borough, between the 9th and the 16th.
Flooding
at
Wharemoa station
The Pomahaka River at Burkes Ford reached a gauge height of 5.425 m on the 14th.
The Pomahaka River at Burkes Ford hada peak discharge of 555 cumecs on the 14th, with a a catchment area of 1924 km^2.
Southland
Flooding
at
Southland
Cyclone Giselle caused the worst flooding in Southland since 1913.
The return of the cyclonic storm on the 12th caused heavy flooding in Southland.
Stock losses were severe. Several thousand sheep were drowned in the lower Mataura Valley.
The water was 1 m deep in streets.
Hundreds of people were left homeless.
20 bridges were washed out.
The most serious flooding occurred on the Mataura River and its tributaries due to a combination of melting snow and heavy rain on an already saturated catchment.
Civil Defence Emergency was declared in the Gore district, in Gore, Mataura and Wyndham. The state of emergency was still in force on the 15th.
Considerable damage was done to roads and bridges. On the Invercargill-Queenstown highway, a bridge was washed out on the afternoon of the 14th and on Highway 96 between Winton and Hedgehope there was a 40 ft gap where the road stopped and the Channel Bridge started.
Considerable damage was done to crops. Swedes and turnips were washed out of the ground by rushing water on some paddocks. Stacks of hay and silage were spoiled.
Thousands of acres of Southland farmlands were under water. Extensive fence damage occurred and pastures were badly silted. Damage to fences along the Mataura River could cost thousands of dollars to repair, with some carried away completely.
Thousands of sheep and cattle were marooned on high knobs of land. Most farmers were spared catastrophy by receiving adequate warning time.
Many famers were cut off without communication.
MCDEM stated that there were 1301 evacuees.
Flooding
at
Charlton
350 sheep were lost from a Charlton farm.
Flooding
at
Fairlight
The Mataura River at Fairlight reached a height of 2.64 m in April (normal height 0.90 m).
Flooding
at
Gore
300 people were evacuated in Gore and Mataura.
At Gore, the level of the Mataura River was falling slowly from 1:30am on the 15th.
100 sheep were lost from a Gore farm.
The damage to a Gore nursery and market garden was estimated at $3000 ($45,000 2008 dollars).
The Mataura River at Gore M.H. Bridge reached a gauge height of 3.962 m on the 14th.
The Mataura River at Gore M.H. Bridge had a peak discharge of 1,438 cumecs on the 14th, with a catchment area of 3465 km^2.
The Mataura River at Gore reached a height of 4.57 m in April (normal height 0.80 m).
Flooding
at
Gorge Road
The Mataura River at Gorge Road reached a height of 3.62 m in April.
Flooding
at
Hokonui Hills
The heaviest flooding came from streams rising in the Hokonuis.
Flooding
at
Kennington
The Waihopai River at Kennington H-Way Bridge reached a gauge height of 2.591 m on the 14th.
The Waihopai River at Kennington H-Way Bridge had a peak discharge of 48.1 cumecs on the 14th, with a catchment area of 152 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Knapdale
It was thought that 500 sheep were drowned on a Knapdale farm.
Flooding
at
Lumsden
The Oreti River at Lumsden C/B reached a height of 2.93 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
Flooding
at
Makarewa Junction
The Makarewa River at the Freezing Works Bridge reached a gauge height of 5.608 m on the 14th.
The Makarewa River at the Freezing Works Bridge had a peak discharge of 407 cumecs on the 14th, with a catchment area of 1041 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Makarewa River
The Makarewa River had a peak flow of 407.8 cumecs on the 14th.
Flooding
at
Mataura
The area of Mataura east of the river, upstream of the papermills, was flooded on the 14th and early 15th. The area west of the river was threatened early on the 15th when flood waters crossed the road near saw mill in the north end of town. Very extensive flooding was experienced on farmland.
80 homes in Mataura were evacuated on the 14th.
In the Selbourne Street area 11 homes were affected by flooding.
Considerable damage was done at the papermills and in Kana Street.
The Mataura River at Mataura Town Bridge reached a gauge height of 8.077 m on the 14th.
The Mataura River at Mataura Town Bridge had a peak discharge of 1,557 cumecs on the 14th, with a catchment area of 4087 km^2.
The Mataura River at the Mataura Borough had a peak discharge of 1416 cumecs on the 12th.
Flooding
at
Mataura Island
200-250 sheep were lost from a Mataura Island farm, and 30-50 sheep from other properties in same district.
Mataura Island and Titiroa were possibly the hardest hit areas.
The Mataura River at Mataura Island reached a height of 4.85 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
Flooding
at
Mataura River
The Mataura River at G. Simpson's reached a height of 3.40 m in April.
The Mataura River at S.L. Lobb's reached a height of 3.55 m in April.
Flooding
at
Otapiri Stream
Otapiri Stream at McBrides reached a gauge height of 3.758 m on the 13th (normal height 0.70 m).
Otapiri Stream at McBrides had a peak discharge of 80.2 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 109 km^2. This was the maximum flood recorded.
Flooding
at
Parawa
The Mataura River at Parawa reached a height of 3.87 m in April (normal height 1.20 m).
The Mataura River at Jobs Ford-Parawa reached a gauge height of 3.581 m on the 13th.
The Mataura River at Jobs Ford-Parawa had a peak discharge of 275 cumecs on the 13th, with a catchment area of 728 km^2.
Flooding
at
Pyramid Hill
The Mataura River at Pyramid reached a height of 3.77 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
Flooding
at
Sunnyside station
The Waiau River at Sunnyside reached a height of 4.75 m in April (normal height 2.00 m).
Flooding
at
Titiroa
Mataura Island and Titiroa were possibly the hardest hit areas.
Flooding
at
Waikaia
The Waikaia River at Waikaia Town reached a height of 3.33 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
The township of Waikaia was isolated and it was thought the bridge across the Waikaia River had been washed out.
Flooding
at
Waikiwi Stream
Waikiwi Stream at Ferry Road reached a height of 3.12 m in April (normally tidal).
Flooding
at
Wallacetown
The Oreti River at the Riverton H-Way Bridge reached a gauge height of 3.841 m on the 16th.
The Oreti River at the Riverton H-Way Bridge had a peak discharge of 708 cumecs on the 16th, with a catchment area of 2202 km^2.
The Oreti River at Wallacetown reached a height of 3.64 m in April (normal height 1.40 m).
Flooding
at
Wyndham
700 people were evacuated in Wyndham on the 14th.
It was estimated that water had entered 90% of the houses and virtually all business premises.
The water was up to 1.5 m in some homes.
The water was up to 4 ft (1.2 m) deep in the main street.
Wyndham was a scene of desolation as the flood waters of the Mataura River and Mimihau Stream flowed through it. The township was officially a closed area.
The flood waters started to recede on the night of the 15th, after maintaining their depth from the 14th through to the afternoon of the 15th.
Flood waters backed up the Mimihau River and spilled over the Mataura highway. On the main road to Invercargill on the outskirts of Wyndham, the roadway resembled a weir as water poured across it, scouring out a large area on one side. In places the roads were badly scoured or the sealed surface was broken up.
The Mataura River at Wyndham reached a height of 4.51 m in April (normal height 1.00 m).
Stewart Island
Multi Hazard
at
Putauhina Island
A 37-year-old man went missing on Hidden (Putauhina) Island, off Stewart Island, on the 9th while muttonbirding. It was believed he had been dashed against rocks in raging seas after falling over a 200-foot cliff.
Search attempts were frustrated by bleak weather and strong winds until the 14th.
References
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- Headline: Business as usual in Kelso as flood debris is cleared.
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- Headline: City homes in danger after rain.
- Otago Daily Times, 16 April 1968.
- Headline: Evacuees may return today.
- Otago Daily Times, 16 April 1968.
- Headline: No hope held for survival.
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- Headline: 87 m.p.h. Gales Hit Gisborne
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Apple Crop Damaged
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Lashed By Storm
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Three Inches Overnight
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Two Dead, Many Hurt As Wellington is Hit
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Unlikely To Be Felt Here
- Southland Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Washed Across Room
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- Surface Water Hydrology of the Mataura River Catchment.
- Headline: Severe Gales Hit Peninsula, Tropical Depression Leaves Trail of Flood and Damage.
- Thames Star and Hauraki Plains News, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Storm Damage in Whitianga Harbour.
- Thames Star and Hauraki Plains News, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: 70m.p.h. winds batter Western Bay.
- The Bay of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Cyclone's speed described as "fantastic" by Met. Officer.
- The Bay of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Milking delayed at Te Puke.
- The Bay of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Several roofs damaged.
- The Bay of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Wide area blacked out as storm hits city.
- The Bay Of Plenty Times, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Cars were abandoned by dozen.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Child killed in bed.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Gigantic clash of two great storms.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Parliament windows go.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Southerly leaves Kingston like battle aftermath.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Two hurt as sheds collapse.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Wahine founders off Seatoun, but only one passenger now believed drowned.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Widespread damage caused in Hutt Valley.
- The Evening Post, April 10 1968.
- Headline: Heartbreaking job for shattered Kingston residents.
- The Evening Post, April 11 1968.
- Headline: Storm could cost $100m.
- The Marlborough Express, 17 February 2004.
- Headline: Forest havoc in cyclone's wake.
- The Nelson Evening Mail, 13 March 1975.
- Headline: District Battens Down, Many Roads Cut.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Flash Flood On West Coast.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Houses Sandbagged as Floods Rise, Storm Sweeps South As Gales And Rain Hit North.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: South Pacific Weather at 6 p.m. yesterday.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Towns May Be Cut Off.
- The New Zealand Herald, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Landslide Leaves Buildings Poised On Brink.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thrusday) 1968.
- Headline: Cable Supply Cut From South.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Debris-Strewn Captial Licks Her Wounds.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Gigantic Clash Caused Record Blast.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: South Pacific Weather at 6 p.m. yesterday.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Trail Of Damage Left By Storm Ever To Hit N.Z.
- The New Zealand Herald, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Cyclone Wounds Deeply, Scars From One End of Country To Other.
- The New Zealand Herald, 13 April (Saturday) 1968.
- Headline: Forecasters Claim Storm Was the Worst Recorded in New Zealand.
- The New Zealand Herald, 13 April (Saturday) 1968.
- Headline: South Pacific Weather at 6 p.m. yesterday.
- The New Zealand Herald, 13 April (Saturday) 1968.
- Headline: South Pacific Weather at 6 p.m. yesterday.
- The New Zealand Herald, 9 April (Tuesday) 1968.
- Headline: Heathcote flood damage warning.
- The Press, 29 December 1997.
- Headline: Bad weather costs insurers $25m yearly.
- The Press, 8 January 2003.
- Headline: Heavy rain, high wind end long summer.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 10 April 1968.
- Headline: Aircraft wrecked, hanger shattered.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 11 April 1968.
- Headline: City homes lose roofs in fury of hurricane.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 11 April 1968.
- Headline: Gale blazes path of destruction.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 11 April 1968.
- Headline: … gorge highway - The flood in the Ohinemuri River through Karagahake Gorge.
- Waikato Times, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: The storm a tropical cyclone…
- Waikato Times, 10 April (Wednesday) 1968.
- Headline: Repairs satart as storm moves south.
- Waikato Times, 11 April (Thursday) 1968.
- Headline: Many Bridges Out …
- Waikato Times, 15 April (Monday) 1968.
- Headline: Gales, heavy rain near North Island.
- Waikato Times, 9 April (Tuesday) 1968.