All rivers and creeks were high.

Subsidary streams of Waitaki River were all in high flood.

There were dangerous washouts on unbridged rivers between Kurow and Oamaru.

A car coming to Kurow on the evening of the 27th was submerged in a washout in Otiake River. The occupants were rescued by a farmer.

It was difficult or impossible to get to or from the Hermitage on the 27th.

Waitaki River was in high flood and reached a higher level than it had been for many years on the 28th. It overflowed and spread across a large extent of the plain.

Islands in the middle of the river were submerged.

A large number of cattle were swept down the river.

Flood waters spread across the north bank of river at Sandhurst and flooded the low-lying part of township.

At some points water reached above bridge level. The train was unable to pass between Kurow and Sandhurst on 28th and the 29th.

Train services were interrupted on the 28th.

The south railway line was still blocked on the 1st and only a slow train was going as far as Allanton.

For one and a half miles beyond Otokia Station the railway line was still covered by 3ft (0.91 m) of water on the 3rd of February.

There was a breach on the Otago Central line at Oturehua on the 3rd.

Floods in Clutha and Taieri districts started to subside on the 3rd.

Flood water in neither Taieri nor Clutha districts reached the flood level of May 1917.

Nearly six weeks elapsed before the last water dried off from the lowest areas.

In Alexandra, the Clutha River started to fall at daybreak on the 28th.

District never had such a wet summer season in the living memory of the oldest residents.

There was no great amount of damage except to two small cob houses and a hut or two.

The town side of the river was sandbagged from 5am on the 26th.

River rose at 2 in (5.08 cm) an hour until 1pm on the 27th and then much faster until 4pm on the 27th.

In Balclutha, the damage was very severe and was estimated at £4-5 per acre. The estimated damage was totalled at £270,000 ($24,576,000 2009 dollars) in land depreciation and damaged crops.

The firebell rung at daybreak on the 28th to warn residents in the area likely to be affected by the flood.

By the evening of the 28th, a majority of people from Rosebank at the south end and north Balclutha had vacated their homes. Several houses were affected by flood water.

A break in the embankment at Hermitage, near Stirling, caused the river to fall.

Barnego was completely under water and the settlers' houses were isolated.

The Balclutha Dairy Factory was surrounded by water up to 5 ft (1.52 m) deep. The flood hindered some operations.

Inch Clutha was isolated.

The whole of the Clutha Valley, from Balclutha to the sea, was submerged.

There were no floods of a serious nature in the district except in Molyneaux flat.

Clutha River receded 2 ft (0.61 m) by 3pm on the 29th to be 1 ft (0.305 m) below the highest mark reached in the 1917 flood.

There were two small breaches in the protective embankment. One near the showgrounds and one near the saleyards.

Damage was estimated at several hundred pounds for temporary repair work.

There was no loss in the business establishments. These were entirely flood-free.

A few sheep and pig carcasses were seen floating down the river.

A large number of mini geysers were coming through large fissures in the streets and even the asphalt footpath on the main street.

The river was running several feet above town level.

Air pressure caused one part of the ground near Council Chambers to suddenly bulge upwards one foot. The bowling green was covered with small mounds and there were several breaks in the asphalt tennis court.

On the 29th, water was within 18 in (0.46 m) of the top of the embankment.

Looking up river from Balclutha hill, there was just one sea of water from hill to hill. Barnego was indicated only by houses and trees.

The creeks, rivers and watercourses were all in flood.

The river overtopped the banks and the road up the flat was covered with floodwater.

Approximately 5000 ha of land surrounding the Clutha River was inundated.

In Alexandra, the Clutha River rose 31 ft 6 in (9.6 m) and had a peak discharge estimated at 88,200 cusecs (2498 cumecs). (Cowie, C.A; Attwood, A.K.(1957) FLOODS in NEW ZEALAND 1920 -53, The Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand,239p.)

From a reconstructed discharge curve, Clutha River had a discharge of 97,000 cusecs (2747 cumecs) at Alexandra. The catchment area was 5315 sq miles (13,766 km^2) but it was affected by backwater. The river had a gauge height of 34ft 1in (10.39 m). (Hydrology Annual No.3 1955, Soil Conservation and River Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand)

At Balclutha, the Clutha River rise 17 ft (5.18 m) above normal with a peak discharge estimated at 120,000 cusecs (3398 cumecs).

From a reconstructed discharge curve, Clutha River had a discharge of 140,000 cusecs (3964 cumecs) at Balclutha, gauged at old road bridge. The catchment area was 8100 sq miles (20,979 km^2).

Clutha River changed its course. It broke through the embankment below Stirling and, with the original stream, formed an island five to six miles wide, entering the sea by two separate mouths.

Rivers reached very high level on the night of the 27th.

There was some damage to roads in various parts but traffic resumed on the 28th.

The flood level of the river was generally admitted to be the highest since 1878.

Clutha River overflowed the foot bridge at Dead Man's Point and the dredges on Clutha were unable to work.

At Henley Bridge, Taieri River rose 15 in (0.38 m) on the 1st.

There was failure of the outlet box at the traffic bridge beside the Cooperative Dairy Factory on the morning of the 2nd. The pressure of the water undermined and carried away the road on which it stood. The washout was 12 ft (3.66 m) below the level of river and the flood water also washed out a new passage under the road. Almost 3000 sandbags were used to repair it.

At the lower Inch Clutha, several families were without bread for two to three days.

73 houses were flooded.

The mine there was idle for 19 days.

Large flats between Stirling and Kaitangata were completely inundated.

Road and rail traffic to Kaitangata was cut off.

Waters were rapidly backing up on the low-lying parts of town at 12:30pm on the 28th.

It was the highest flood ever recorded in the area. The flood was 18 in (0.46 m) above the 1917 flood mark by late afternoon on the 30th and was still rising fast.

Houses were flooded and residents were vacating their houses between Kaitangata and Stirling. Approximately 20 people vacated their homes in Kaitangata. All houses on the flat were abandoned.

Water entered several shops.

Clutha River had a break one hundred yards long in the bank near Mosley's, below the Stirling bridge on the 1st. Bells were rung to warn residents. Some residents were marooned in their houses.

Businesses were flooded along Eddystone Street and west from the intersections at Water Street and north of Weymouth Street on the 1st.

There were very few losses recorded in the immediate vicinity of Kaitangata. There were dead bodies of animals floating along on the raging flood but these were mostly from higher up the river.

Flooding was severe in Kaitangata and the water reached the level of the 1878 flood on the 1st and 2nd.

Kawarau River rose 26 ft (7.92 m) above normal (which was 2 ft (0.61 m) above the 1878 flood level).

Taieri River reached the highest flood mark of 1917.

The main railway line flooded between Lovells Flat and Benhar on the 28th. A fresh break occurred on the line near Lovell's Flat on the 29th. Water was over 4 ft (1.22 m) deep on the line.

The railway line between Stirling and Lovell's Flat was covered with water in six places and had one or two washouts.

Makarora Lake rose 6 in (0.15 m) over night on the 27th as rain fell steadily.

Manuherikia River rose 20 ft (6.10 m) above normal and had a discharge of 17,500 cusecs (496 cumecs) at Ophir.

Manuherikia River had a discharge of 20,000 cusecs (566 cumecs) at Ophir.

In Middlemarch, Taieri River was at a high level all day on the 29th and it was still raining.

Two bridges and part of a third were carried away.

Outram line had no trains on the 29th. Water was 26 in (0.66 m) deep over the rails between Riverside and Gladfield.

On the 3rd, 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) deep of water was still on the railway line.

At Outram bridge, the Taieri River level was higher than at Kirkland's (near Riverside), but water was spreading through old breaks in the banks onto the lower portions of Riverside. There was 10 ft (3.05 m) of water in some lower paddocks.

There was very little water lying on West Taieri at the back of Outram. The older settlers didn't think it constituted a flood.

Water was lapping over Paretai and Otanomomo floodbanks at 9pm on the 27th.

Cereal and winter feed crops in Paretai and Otanomomo districts were completely ruined.

No mail was received from Queenstown, Arrowtown or Cardrona that week.

Pomahaka River rose 3.25 ft (1 m) below deck level of the old bridge at Conical Hills and had a peak discharge of 43,700 cusecs (1237 cumecs).

Pomahaka River had a discharge of 20,000 cusecs (566 cumecs) at Black Bridge, but was affected from backwater from the Clutha.

Pomahaka River had a discharge of 27,000 cusecs (765 cumecs) at Swanns Bridge.

Pomahaka River had a discharge of 849 cumecs at Burkes Ford, with a catchment area of 1924 km^2.

The road was impassable from Cardrona to Pembroke.

There were three washouts on the east side of Clutha River on way to Miller's Flat.

Mail services were disrupted.

The flood in Clutha River on the 27th was within 18 in (0.46 m) of the level reached by the 1878 flood.

At Roxburgh, the Clutha River rose 27 ft (8.23 m) above normal

The river overflowed shortly after 1am on the 28th and rushed into town. In 10 minutes floodwater was up to 3 ft (0.91m). All residents but two families in the low-lying part of the township retreated. One family, of parents and six young children that stayed, were rescued after an S.O.S call was sent out at 7am.

The Hermitage embankment broke shortly after 4pm on the 28th and the flood rushed into town. Water soon rose by another foot and another rescue call was made at 7pm for the other family which had stayed.

Several houses and shops were flooded to a depth of 4-6 ft (1.22-1.83 m).

One shop was carried midway onto the road and broke telephone wires. It was the last means of communication with Inch Clutha, as roads were impassable.

The railway was blocked by 4 ft (1.22 m) of water for 400 metres on the north side of Stirling.

Flood water rose steadily on the night of the 28th, and reached half way up walls of houses in the lowest part of the township.

A strong current ran through town and several sheds floated away.

A portion of the railway platform at the north end of the station was washed away during the night.

The stationmaster's residence was insecure when several piles were undermined. The family were rescued by boat.

Looking from the hill above Stirling, the land was one sea of water from Lovell's Flat to Port Molyneaux.

Some standing crops were knocked over by the rain.

West Taieri was free from flooding but crops were knocked about by the weather.

Flood waters were spread out over East Taieri and a large area was inundated.

Silver Stream was hardly affected by floodwater and eased the pressure of flooding.

The depth of water around Riverside was about equal to that flood in 1918.

There were no stock losses.

At Otokia, Taieri River was 3 ft (0.91 m) above normal at 8am on the 28th.

Taieri River was 11 ft (3.35 m) above normal at Allanton at 12am on the 28th.

At Riverside, the river got through some old breaks in the banks and flowed over low-lying paddocks and railway line up to a depth of 3 ft (0.91 m).

The Outram-Mosgiel train was unable to get through on the 28th.

Floodwaters flooded the country and had a bad effect on pasturelands.

The flooded portions of land were mostly pasture which was ruined rather than crops. One potato crop in East Taieri was covered in water.

Mill Creek was very high all day on the 28th and 29th and over the road at some points.

A downpour of rain up country, on the 1st of February, increased the water depth of the flooded area of East Taieri by 1 ft (0.30 m).

The railway line between Mosgiel and Henley was blocked in two places.

East Taieri was a sea of water, but there was no flooding on other side of the river.

At Otokia, the road was under water for several chains and traffic was delayed.

There was a breach in embankment of Lee Creek, near Little Lake in the early morning of the 1st and a fair-sized area was under water.

River levels were their highest on the 1st at Outram, Allanton and Henley.

The Taratu railway line was under water.

Tuakitoto Lake rose steadily all day on the 29th.

There was 4.5 ft (1.37 m) of water passing over weir early on the morning of the 28th.

Waipori River rose again on the 29th but then fell rapidly.

There was a small break in the embankment near Lake Tatawai. The water spread over the adjacent land, fertile land was rendered practically useless by silting up of water outlets.

Waipori River overflowed and water flowed across the road between Henley and Berwick but it was not impassable.

Jacobstown was the only part of the town under water.

Mataura River was reported to be very high near Lumsden.

The annual maximum flood discharge of the Mataura River was 570 cumecs ± 140 on the 1st of February.