NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
July 1988 Manawatu-Wanganui Flooding ( 1988-07-23 )
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared in New Plymouth after heavy rain caused a backup of water in the Mangaone and Kawau Streams.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 2 days - From the 23rd to the 24th of July.
Poor weather and heavy holiday bookings caused severe disruption of air travel over the 23rd and 24th. More than a thousdand passengers to all destinations were affected. Airports at Invercargill, Timaru and Wellington were closed on the 23rd and airports at Invercargill, Christchurch and Dunedin were closed on the 24th.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Flooding
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
There was flooding on the 27th of July in the Manawatu.
Insurance industry payouts totalled $2,500,000 ($4,258,000 2009 dollars).
Flooding throughout the Manawatu region caused $848,000 ($1,445,000 2009 dollars).
State Highway 3 was flooded in parts.
Heavy Rain
The Wairarapa Catchment Board measured a record 320 mm (32.0 cm) of rain in 36 hours until the night of the 23rd.
The record rainfall was caused by two depressions.
Flooding
at
Bulls
Roads were hardest hit. State Highway 1 between Bulls and Sanson and State Highway 3, just north of bulls, was flooded.
Tutaenui Street about two kilometres north of bulls had minor flooding.
Landslide
at
Makuri Gorge
Makuri Gorge between Pahiatua and Pongaroa was closed due to slips.
Flooding
at
Manawatu River
Manawatu River had risen to 4.7 m by 11:30am on the 24th.
Landslide
at
Okehu Valley
There were slips in the Okehu Valley.
Heavy Rain
at
Palmerston North
Rain was falling at 100 mm (10.0 cm) per hour.
Flooding
There was a backup of water in the Mangaone and Kawau Streams. The heavy rain caused the streams and stormwater drains to back up and flood the city.
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared at 10:12pm on the 24th to 9:00am on the 27th. The declaration was for the city area.
About 1000 people were evacuated from Palmerston North. 980 people were expected to spend a second night in emergency accomodation. 200 homes were evacuated and Civil Defence were preparing to evacuate another 300 homes.
Over 40 houses were flooded in Amberley Avenue, at the end of Chadwick Place. Pencarrow Street and Cedar Grove were flooded.
Between 50 to 60 houses in total were flooded.
110 houses were without power.
Water was reported to be thigh deep in some areas.
There was a burglary of two evacuated homes during the evacuation and the evacuated area was put on curfew.
State Highway 57 was blocked by fallen trees.
Storm water rose to a depth of one metre between the flooded Mangaone and Kawau Streams.
Areas lost power and telephones.
The flood caused several millions of dollars damage to property in Palmerston North.
It was estimated that there were 200 to 250 claims from through out Palmerston North with 30 already having been lodged on the 27th from property owners in Amberley Avenue area.
Landslide
at
Ratana
There were slips on Ratana Hill.
Heavy Rain
at
Ruamahanga River
The Ruamahanga River was four metres above its normal level at 11pm on the 23rd.
Flooding
at
Tinui
Farmland 16 kilometres northeast of Tinui was covered in silt and debris more than a metre deep in places.
Stock losses were caused after animals bacame trapped in mud and water.
Heavy Rain
at
Wanganui
Wanganui recorded 96.4 mm (9.64 cm) of rain in 24 hours from midnight on the 23rd to midnight on the 24th.
Flooding
Persistant rain caused surface flooding.
The straight stretch of road at Marybank, south of Wanganui, was flooded.
Wellington
Flooding
at
Makara
A stretch of the Makara road was flooded.
References
- Civil Defence Declarations Since 1 January 1963, Declared Civil Defence Emergencies, 31 December 1999
- Insurance Councils, The Cost of Weather Loses, Claims history (Updated 2004)
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 34,September 1988
- Headline: Biggest flood recedes from Wairarapa.
- The Press, Source: PA, 26 July 1988.
- Headline: Curfew in flooded city.
- The Press, Source: PA, 26 July 1988.
- Headline: Govt to consider flood aid.
- The Press, Source: PA, 27 July 1988.
- Headline: Flood grant sought.
- The Press, Source: PA, 28 July 1988.
- Headline: Flooding problems in district.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 25 July 1988.
- Headline: Houses in Palmerston North evacuated.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 25 July 1988.
- Headline: Victims of flood kept from houses.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 26 July 1988.
July 1988 Manawatu-Wanganui Flooding ( 1988-07-23 )
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared in New Plymouth after heavy rain caused a backup of water in the Mangaone and Kawau Streams.
New Zealand
Multi Hazard
at
New Zealand
Duration: 2 days - From the 23rd to the 24th of July.
Poor weather and heavy holiday bookings caused severe disruption of air travel over the 23rd and 24th. More than a thousdand passengers to all destinations were affected. Airports at Invercargill, Timaru and Wellington were closed on the 23rd and airports at Invercargill, Christchurch and Dunedin were closed on the 24th.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Flooding
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
There was flooding on the 27th of July in the Manawatu.
Insurance industry payouts totalled $2,500,000 ($4,258,000 2009 dollars).
Flooding throughout the Manawatu region caused $848,000 ($1,445,000 2009 dollars).
State Highway 3 was flooded in parts.
Heavy Rain
The Wairarapa Catchment Board measured a record 320 mm (32.0 cm) of rain in 36 hours until the night of the 23rd.
The record rainfall was caused by two depressions.
Flooding
at
Bulls
Roads were hardest hit. State Highway 1 between Bulls and Sanson and State Highway 3, just north of bulls, was flooded.
Tutaenui Street about two kilometres north of bulls had minor flooding.
Landslide
at
Makuri Gorge
Makuri Gorge between Pahiatua and Pongaroa was closed due to slips.
Flooding
at
Manawatu River
Manawatu River had risen to 4.7 m by 11:30am on the 24th.
Landslide
at
Okehu Valley
There were slips in the Okehu Valley.
Heavy Rain
at
Palmerston North
Rain was falling at 100 mm (10.0 cm) per hour.
Flooding
There was a backup of water in the Mangaone and Kawau Streams. The heavy rain caused the streams and stormwater drains to back up and flood the city.
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared at 10:12pm on the 24th to 9:00am on the 27th. The declaration was for the city area.
About 1000 people were evacuated from Palmerston North. 980 people were expected to spend a second night in emergency accomodation. 200 homes were evacuated and Civil Defence were preparing to evacuate another 300 homes.
Over 40 houses were flooded in Amberley Avenue, at the end of Chadwick Place. Pencarrow Street and Cedar Grove were flooded.
Between 50 to 60 houses in total were flooded.
110 houses were without power.
Water was reported to be thigh deep in some areas.
There was a burglary of two evacuated homes during the evacuation and the evacuated area was put on curfew.
State Highway 57 was blocked by fallen trees.
Storm water rose to a depth of one metre between the flooded Mangaone and Kawau Streams.
Areas lost power and telephones.
The flood caused several millions of dollars damage to property in Palmerston North.
It was estimated that there were 200 to 250 claims from through out Palmerston North with 30 already having been lodged on the 27th from property owners in Amberley Avenue area.
Landslide
at
Ratana
There were slips on Ratana Hill.
Heavy Rain
at
Ruamahanga River
The Ruamahanga River was four metres above its normal level at 11pm on the 23rd.
Flooding
at
Tinui
Farmland 16 kilometres northeast of Tinui was covered in silt and debris more than a metre deep in places.
Stock losses were caused after animals bacame trapped in mud and water.
Heavy Rain
at
Wanganui
Wanganui recorded 96.4 mm (9.64 cm) of rain in 24 hours from midnight on the 23rd to midnight on the 24th.
Flooding
Persistant rain caused surface flooding.
The straight stretch of road at Marybank, south of Wanganui, was flooded.
Wellington
Flooding
at
Makara
A stretch of the Makara road was flooded.
References
- Civil Defence Declarations Since 1 January 1963, Declared Civil Defence Emergencies, 31 December 1999
- Insurance Councils, The Cost of Weather Loses, Claims history (Updated 2004)
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 34,September 1988
- Headline: Biggest flood recedes from Wairarapa.
- The Press, Source: PA, 26 July 1988.
- Headline: Curfew in flooded city.
- The Press, Source: PA, 26 July 1988.
- Headline: Govt to consider flood aid.
- The Press, Source: PA, 27 July 1988.
- Headline: Flood grant sought.
- The Press, Source: PA, 28 July 1988.
- Headline: Flooding problems in district.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 25 July 1988.
- Headline: Houses in Palmerston North evacuated.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 25 July 1988.
- Headline: Victims of flood kept from houses.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 26 July 1988.