NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
July 1974 Otago Flooding ( 1974-07-28 )
Heavy rain caused flooding in Taieri Plain and Oamaru. Fog made driving conditions difficult in the Dunedin area.
Otago
Multi Hazard
at
Otago
Duration: 3 days - Otago suffered severe rainfalls and flooding from the 28th to the 30th.
Heavy Rain
There were further heavy showers along coastal Otago throughout the 30th.
Heavy rain was also falling late on the night of the 30th in South and West Otago, but there was no indication of flooding.
Rainfall throughout Central Otago was relatively light and no roads flooded. There was some light falls of snow in some areas.
Flooding
Sheet flooding occurred over an extensive area of coastal North Otago.
Many rivers were in flood including the Taieri and the Tokomairiro River and creeks in North Otago topped their banks.
There was extensive dislocation of road and rail.
There was surface flooding on Taieri Plain and around Oamaru.
There was little reserve capacity left in Otago rivers late on the night of the 30th as they began to rise again.
Surface water and flooding made driving conditions hazardous in parts of the province.
Low-lying farmland was quite severely flooded.
There were no stock losses reported.
Flooding
at
Shag River
Shag River was running very high.
Flooding
at
Taieri Plain
Close to 3000 acres (1214ha) of East Taieri farming area were under water on the night of the 30th.
Floodwaters from Silver Stream and Owhiro Stream were backed up against the flooded Taieri River.
Roads in Riverside were under water.
Silver Stream broke its bank downstream of Gladfield Road on the morning of the 29th, and floodwaters continued to cut a new course through a farm on the 30th.
Riverside ponding area received the brunt of early flooding.
The area alongside the main trunk railway line from Taieri River, at Allanton, towards East Taieri began to fill on the 30th.
Heavy Rain
at
Dunedin
Dunedin recorded 4.0cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 29th.
Dunedin recorded 0.61cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 30th.
Dunedin recorded 0.5cm of rain in 11 hours to 8pm on the 30th. There was substantially less rainfall in the 36 hours to 8pm on the 30th than in the previous 24 hours.
Flooding
The new arts building at Otago University had leaks in several places and minor problems with water coming down the walls.
There was some severe flooding in the city around 9am on the 29th.
Multi Hazard
Heavy rain showers and thick fog caused problems for motorists in hill surburbs and on the Northern Motorway.
Fog
In many places visibility was reduced to a few feet and the Ministry of Transport advised the safest speed on the evening of the 30th on the motorway was 10mph (16.09kmh).
Heavy Rain
at
Oamaru
Oamaru recorded 2.96cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 29th.
Oamaru recorded 2.94cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 30th.
Oamaru's July rainfall of 6.45cm was the highest since 1963.
Flooding
Low areas of land lay under several inches of water in and around Oamaru on the 30th.
Some properties in Cambridge Terrace were inaccessible and there was flooding of Towey Street properties.
Awamoa Park was a sheet of water and other parks, including Centennial Park, were waterlogged.
Water crossed State Highway 83 near Skinners Corner.
A clay bank on State Highway 1, south of Oamaru, slumped and caused a blockage over the southern traffic lane.
Farther south, to Waianakarua, sheet water was across highway at a number of points.
State Highway 1 was closed by 2 ft (0.61m) of water at Pukeuri, north of Oamaru.
Oamaru airport was closed for several days due to heavy rain and flooding. The runway the airport had several inches of water in places resulting in the outward flight on the 30th to be cancelled.
Snow / Ice
at
Lindis Pass
Snow fell on both sides of Lindis Pass.
Heavy Rain
at
The Dasher
The Dasher recorded 6.67cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 29th.
The Dasher recorded 2.2cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 30th.
Heavy Rain
at
Herbert
Herbert recorded 3.0cm of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Moeraki Lighthouse
Moeraki Lighthouse recorded 2.1cm of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Five Forks
Five Forks recorded 1.6cm of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
at
Outram
At 11:15pm on the 30th, Taieri River had risen to just over 15 ft (4.57m) on the Outram gauge which was 13 ft (3.96m) above normal.
References
- Meteorological Observations for 1974, Stations in New Zealand and Outlying Islands, Including the Cook Group. New Zealand Meteorological Service.
- Headline: Farmers Warned.
- Otago Daily Times, 31 July 1974.
- Headline: Flooding Worsened by Continuous Rain.
- Otago Daily Times, 31 July 1974.
July 1974 Otago Flooding ( 1974-07-28 )
Heavy rain caused flooding in Taieri Plain and Oamaru. Fog made driving conditions difficult in the Dunedin area.
Otago
Multi Hazard
at
Otago
Duration: 3 days - Otago suffered severe rainfalls and flooding from the 28th to the 30th.
Heavy Rain
There were further heavy showers along coastal Otago throughout the 30th.
Heavy rain was also falling late on the night of the 30th in South and West Otago, but there was no indication of flooding.
Rainfall throughout Central Otago was relatively light and no roads flooded. There was some light falls of snow in some areas.
Flooding
Sheet flooding occurred over an extensive area of coastal North Otago.
Many rivers were in flood including the Taieri and the Tokomairiro River and creeks in North Otago topped their banks.
There was extensive dislocation of road and rail.
There was surface flooding on Taieri Plain and around Oamaru.
There was little reserve capacity left in Otago rivers late on the night of the 30th as they began to rise again.
Surface water and flooding made driving conditions hazardous in parts of the province.
Low-lying farmland was quite severely flooded.
There were no stock losses reported.
Flooding
at
Shag River
Shag River was running very high.
Flooding
at
Taieri Plain
Close to 3000 acres (1214ha) of East Taieri farming area were under water on the night of the 30th.
Floodwaters from Silver Stream and Owhiro Stream were backed up against the flooded Taieri River.
Roads in Riverside were under water.
Silver Stream broke its bank downstream of Gladfield Road on the morning of the 29th, and floodwaters continued to cut a new course through a farm on the 30th.
Riverside ponding area received the brunt of early flooding.
The area alongside the main trunk railway line from Taieri River, at Allanton, towards East Taieri began to fill on the 30th.
Heavy Rain
at
Dunedin
Dunedin recorded 4.0cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 29th.
Dunedin recorded 0.61cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 30th.
Dunedin recorded 0.5cm of rain in 11 hours to 8pm on the 30th. There was substantially less rainfall in the 36 hours to 8pm on the 30th than in the previous 24 hours.
Flooding
The new arts building at Otago University had leaks in several places and minor problems with water coming down the walls.
There was some severe flooding in the city around 9am on the 29th.
Multi Hazard
Heavy rain showers and thick fog caused problems for motorists in hill surburbs and on the Northern Motorway.
Fog
In many places visibility was reduced to a few feet and the Ministry of Transport advised the safest speed on the evening of the 30th on the motorway was 10mph (16.09kmh).
Heavy Rain
at
Oamaru
Oamaru recorded 2.96cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 29th.
Oamaru recorded 2.94cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 30th.
Oamaru's July rainfall of 6.45cm was the highest since 1963.
Flooding
Low areas of land lay under several inches of water in and around Oamaru on the 30th.
Some properties in Cambridge Terrace were inaccessible and there was flooding of Towey Street properties.
Awamoa Park was a sheet of water and other parks, including Centennial Park, were waterlogged.
Water crossed State Highway 83 near Skinners Corner.
A clay bank on State Highway 1, south of Oamaru, slumped and caused a blockage over the southern traffic lane.
Farther south, to Waianakarua, sheet water was across highway at a number of points.
State Highway 1 was closed by 2 ft (0.61m) of water at Pukeuri, north of Oamaru.
Oamaru airport was closed for several days due to heavy rain and flooding. The runway the airport had several inches of water in places resulting in the outward flight on the 30th to be cancelled.
Snow / Ice
at
Lindis Pass
Snow fell on both sides of Lindis Pass.
Heavy Rain
at
The Dasher
The Dasher recorded 6.67cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 29th.
The Dasher recorded 2.2cm of rain in 24 hours to 9am on the 30th.
Heavy Rain
at
Herbert
Herbert recorded 3.0cm of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Moeraki Lighthouse
Moeraki Lighthouse recorded 2.1cm of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy Rain
at
Five Forks
Five Forks recorded 1.6cm of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
at
Outram
At 11:15pm on the 30th, Taieri River had risen to just over 15 ft (4.57m) on the Outram gauge which was 13 ft (3.96m) above normal.
References
- Meteorological Observations for 1974, Stations in New Zealand and Outlying Islands, Including the Cook Group. New Zealand Meteorological Service.
- Headline: Farmers Warned.
- Otago Daily Times, 31 July 1974.
- Headline: Flooding Worsened by Continuous Rain.
- Otago Daily Times, 31 July 1974.