100 year
Severe damage to homes and businesses occurred when a tornado hit Bell Block and Inglewood on the 12th of August 1990. Tasman-Nelson experienced heavy rain causing extensive flooding in the Motueka area and resulting in millions of dollars worth of damage. Marlborough also experienced some flooding.
A tornado ripped through Inglewood and Bell Block at 3:00am on the 12th of August.
25 families (approximately 100 people) were evacuated..
43 shops, homes and factories were severely damaged. Atleast 12 homes were destroyed.
Power lines dangled from poles.
Roofing iron was torn off houses.
There were considerable amounts af damaged and uprooted trees.
At 3:22am to 3:32am, the tornado travelled from the coast into Inglewood and out towards south Inglewood.
Winds reached 165.6 km/hr.
According to Taranaki Regional Council, 69 houses were damaged and three needed to be completely rebuilt.
There were 179 insurance claims as at 17/12/1990 with an estimated value of $1,400,000 ($2,119,600 2009 dollars).
There was extensive damage to Inglewood Primary School. One block lost its roof, windows and sustained water damage. And another block lost quarter of its roof and also sustained water damage. There was damage to every block in the 20 room school but it reopened on the 16th.
The tornado toppled chimneys, smashed windows, and destroyed sheds.
The cleanup took some time and the rebuilding took months.
It ripped up a line of pine trees and deposited the branches inside houses hundreds of metres away.
The northern end of Underwood Engineering was ripped open by the tornado.
Some houses on the western side of Maire Street were almost totally destroyed. On the eastern side, roofing iron, fences and trees were strewn about.
The wind was already gusting up to 46 knots (85.2 mk/hr) near the time of the tornado at Bell Block.
An intense hailstorm preceded the tornado.
There was also heavy rain and lightning and cyclone force winds preceded the tornado.
A blizzard enveloped Mt Ruapehu on the 11th and 12th of August.
11 army servicemen and 2 instructors went on a training trek on Mt Ruapehu. The party of 14 climbed the mountain on a fine day and became trapped at the crater rim by a sudden blizzard. The whiteout, freezing cold and high winds came without warning.
Six men (aged 18-23) were found dead in a trench on the most exposed part of the mountain.
Five other soldiers were rescued in varying states of hypothermia and with frostbite.
There were wind gusts of up to 70 knots (130 km/hr).
A large low moved from central Tasman Sea south-eastwards to cross central South Island. Central pressures within the low were down to about 980hPa. A moist north-east flow affected Nelson area for a considerable period. A warm front crossed the area at 6am on the 11th. At noon on the 11th, wind at Stephens Island was 100/35kt, and at Farewell Spit was 060/30kt. This indicates low level convergence within the Nelson region. Nelson City reported continuous heavy rain at this time. A small low seen off West Coast was moving south-south-westwards, and its presence helped prolong the period of heavy rain. During the latter stages of the event, several convective bands crossed the area, as the flow turned slowly around to the north-west.
Flooding was severe in the Motueka area. The main feature of the flood was that damage was concentrated in a high-value horticultural area.
There was severe flooding around the province. Floods cut roads, damaged homes, forced the evacuation of residents.
Total damage was estimated at $5,670,000 in 2004.
There were 30 people evacuated from Peach Island near Riwaka and Dehra Doon areas.
It took several days to reopen all the roads that were blocked.
It was estimated that the rain and flooding caused at least $3,000,000 ($4,542,000 2009 dollars) of damage to farmland.
Damage to river stopbanks was estimated to cost more than $1,000,000 ($1,514,000 2009 dollars) to repair.
Flooding resulted in silt-laden paddocks, submerged orchards, and lost fencing.
Flood damage to the Motueka district was estimated to cost over $4,400,000 ($6,661,500 2009 dollars).
It was estimated that $220,000 ($333,000 2009 dollars) was needed to repair farm damage in Riwaka horticultural area.
Work to clear minor drains using a fleet of small diggers cost an estimated $55,000 ($83,300 2009 dollars).
The cost of flood relief workers who started work on the 19th was estimated at $100,000 ($151,400 2009 dollars).
It was estimated that river, drainage and some slope stabilisation work cost $1,800,000 ($2,725,000 2009 dollars).
It was estimated that $1,200,000 ($1,817,000 2009 dollars) was needed by the Tasman District Council to restore roads under its control.
The Tasman District Council estimated that it cost $30,000 ($45,400 2009 dollars) to repair water supplies.
Claims totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars were made to the Earthquake and War Damages Commission and about 60 claims had been received by the 20th. Most of the claims were for damage caused by slips.
Power was cut to Brooklyn, Peach Island and Lower Moutere.
Residents at Marahau, Little Sydney and Brooklyn valleys were isolated.
Twin bridges at Marahau and Sandy Bay, the Shaggery, and Rocky Creek bridges were are out.
Records show the flood was about the fourth biggest ever.
One house (approximately four people) near Appleby bridge was evacuated.
Baton recorded 235 mm (23.5 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Several hundred residences were without power from 10:00pm on the 11thto 6.30pm on the 12th.
Dovedale water supply was cut off, affecting 330 homes.
Power was cut for seven hours.
A man was injured in a motor vehicle accident at Pohara on the 11th.
Victim with suspected spinal injuries was flown out of Golden Bay.
90 people stranded in Golden Bay were flown out in 12 special flights.
Golden Bay residents and valleys on the west bank of the Motueka River were isolated for days.
Power cut for three hours.
A bach was upturned at Honeymoon Bay.
Several hundred residences were without power on the 12th.
Maitai recorded 105 mm (10.5 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Civil Defence Emergency was declared in Motueka at 9:30am to 5:00pm on the 13th. It was declared when the rising Motueka River threatened to break its banks and flood many low-lying horticultural and residential areas.
Floodwaters inundated properties.
It was one of the worst floods in Motueka history and it could be classified as 100 year flood.
Roads were washed out by rain, slips and flooding.
The estimated repair costs to roads were in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Falling trees cut power to 1000 homes in Motueka.
The river level started to drop at 2:00pm on the 12th and by 4:30pm all rivers were in recession and rainfall had ceased throughout the district.
The Motueka to Kohatu road, State Highway 61, was closed by large slips especially in the Dovedale area and the Marahau-Sandy Bay road and the Kaiteriteri road were also cut.
Most of the erosion damage was on the eastern side of the river.
Motueka River had hovered at the peak flood level for about 24 hours.
Motueka Gorge recorded 154 mm (15.4 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Moss Bush recorded 349 mm (34.9 cm) of rain in 72 hours (which has a return period of 90 years).
Moss Bush recorded 314 mm (31.4 cm) of rain in 48 hours (which has a return period of 116 years).
Moss Bush recorded 224 mm (22.4 cm) of rain in 24 hours (which has a return period of 50 years).
Motupiko recorded 76 mm (7.6 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
There were washouts on State Highway 61 at Pangatotara and at the southern approach to the Shaggery Bridge.
Pokororo recorded 258 mm (25.8 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Riwaka recorded 293 mm (29.3 cm) of rain over the 11th and the 12th.
Riwaka River had two breaches of the stopbank. The river first breached the true right stopbank and a more extensive 60 m long breach followed further upstream. Volunteers were called in to lay sandbags.
Baton and Tadmor tributaries reached heights of 3.2m and 2.9m respectively.
Twelve people were rescued from Riwaka by the coastguard boat.
People were evacuated from the Riwaka Hotel area.
A 49 year old man died while attempting to cross the swollen Little Sydney Valley Stream on the 11th, near Swamp Road, Riwaka.
Kiwifruit growers round Riwaka were desperately pumping water from their fields on the 14th and many apple and nashi pear orchards were still underwater.
The Riwaka Valley was cut in several places by slips. One of the biggest covered the road and also buried a stock yard, leaving only the top rail of the 1.8 m high stock fence visible.
Long time residents of Riwaka district said it was the worst flood they had ever known.
22 people were evacuated by helicopter from the area known as Peach Island, after water began entering their propeties and had completely cut off the area.
Stanley Brook recorded 250 mm (25.0 cm) of rain in 36 hours.
Stanley Brook recorded 305 mm (30.5 cm) of rain in 48 hours.
Tadmor recorded 136 mm (13.6 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Power was cut for seven hours.
The Moutere highway was reduced to one way traffic.
Upper Takaka recorded 179 mm (17.9 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Lee Gauge, above the Waimea Plains recorded 148 mm (14.8 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Waingaro River, 12 km from Takaka township, recorded 336 mm (33.6 cm) in 36 hours ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Mouth of Wairoa Gorge recorded 150 mm (15.0 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Wangapeka recorded 280 mm (28.0 cm) of rain during the 36 hours on the 11th and 12th.
Woodstock recorded 280 mm (28.0 cm) of rain during the storm.
Motueka River reached at 6.05 m peak at Woodstock.
Farmers with ewes lambing early, lost many lambs.
Power was lost for seven hours.
Marlborough recorded 80-100 mm (8-10 cm) of rain in 40 hours.
A kiwifruit packing shed was demolished.
Rivers were high.
There were several dropouts and slips in the steep country of the Marlborough Sounds which closed a number of roads.
Queen Charlotte Drive was closed.
Kenepuru Road was closed.
Waitui Road at Titirangi was closed.
Repair cost estimated for the lower Wairau River system and the above Waihopai was $423,000 ($640,400 2009 dollars).
100 year
Severe damage to homes and businesses occurred when a tornado hit Bell Block and Inglewood on the 12th of August 1990. Tasman-Nelson experienced heavy rain causing extensive flooding in the Motueka area and resulting in millions of dollars worth of damage. Marlborough also experienced some flooding.
A tornado ripped through Inglewood and Bell Block at 3:00am on the 12th of August.
25 families (approximately 100 people) were evacuated..
43 shops, homes and factories were severely damaged. Atleast 12 homes were destroyed.
Power lines dangled from poles.
Roofing iron was torn off houses.
There were considerable amounts af damaged and uprooted trees.
At 3:22am to 3:32am, the tornado travelled from the coast into Inglewood and out towards south Inglewood.
Winds reached 165.6 km/hr.
According to Taranaki Regional Council, 69 houses were damaged and three needed to be completely rebuilt.
There were 179 insurance claims as at 17/12/1990 with an estimated value of $1,400,000 ($2,119,600 2009 dollars).
There was extensive damage to Inglewood Primary School. One block lost its roof, windows and sustained water damage. And another block lost quarter of its roof and also sustained water damage. There was damage to every block in the 20 room school but it reopened on the 16th.
The tornado toppled chimneys, smashed windows, and destroyed sheds.
The cleanup took some time and the rebuilding took months.
It ripped up a line of pine trees and deposited the branches inside houses hundreds of metres away.
The northern end of Underwood Engineering was ripped open by the tornado.
Some houses on the western side of Maire Street were almost totally destroyed. On the eastern side, roofing iron, fences and trees were strewn about.
The wind was already gusting up to 46 knots (85.2 mk/hr) near the time of the tornado at Bell Block.
An intense hailstorm preceded the tornado.
There was also heavy rain and lightning and cyclone force winds preceded the tornado.
A blizzard enveloped Mt Ruapehu on the 11th and 12th of August.
11 army servicemen and 2 instructors went on a training trek on Mt Ruapehu. The party of 14 climbed the mountain on a fine day and became trapped at the crater rim by a sudden blizzard. The whiteout, freezing cold and high winds came without warning.
Six men (aged 18-23) were found dead in a trench on the most exposed part of the mountain.
Five other soldiers were rescued in varying states of hypothermia and with frostbite.
There were wind gusts of up to 70 knots (130 km/hr).
A large low moved from central Tasman Sea south-eastwards to cross central South Island. Central pressures within the low were down to about 980hPa. A moist north-east flow affected Nelson area for a considerable period. A warm front crossed the area at 6am on the 11th. At noon on the 11th, wind at Stephens Island was 100/35kt, and at Farewell Spit was 060/30kt. This indicates low level convergence within the Nelson region. Nelson City reported continuous heavy rain at this time. A small low seen off West Coast was moving south-south-westwards, and its presence helped prolong the period of heavy rain. During the latter stages of the event, several convective bands crossed the area, as the flow turned slowly around to the north-west.
Flooding was severe in the Motueka area. The main feature of the flood was that damage was concentrated in a high-value horticultural area.
There was severe flooding around the province. Floods cut roads, damaged homes, forced the evacuation of residents.
Total damage was estimated at $5,670,000 in 2004.
There were 30 people evacuated from Peach Island near Riwaka and Dehra Doon areas.
It took several days to reopen all the roads that were blocked.
It was estimated that the rain and flooding caused at least $3,000,000 ($4,542,000 2009 dollars) of damage to farmland.
Damage to river stopbanks was estimated to cost more than $1,000,000 ($1,514,000 2009 dollars) to repair.
Flooding resulted in silt-laden paddocks, submerged orchards, and lost fencing.
Flood damage to the Motueka district was estimated to cost over $4,400,000 ($6,661,500 2009 dollars).
It was estimated that $220,000 ($333,000 2009 dollars) was needed to repair farm damage in Riwaka horticultural area.
Work to clear minor drains using a fleet of small diggers cost an estimated $55,000 ($83,300 2009 dollars).
The cost of flood relief workers who started work on the 19th was estimated at $100,000 ($151,400 2009 dollars).
It was estimated that river, drainage and some slope stabilisation work cost $1,800,000 ($2,725,000 2009 dollars).
It was estimated that $1,200,000 ($1,817,000 2009 dollars) was needed by the Tasman District Council to restore roads under its control.
The Tasman District Council estimated that it cost $30,000 ($45,400 2009 dollars) to repair water supplies.
Claims totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars were made to the Earthquake and War Damages Commission and about 60 claims had been received by the 20th. Most of the claims were for damage caused by slips.
Power was cut to Brooklyn, Peach Island and Lower Moutere.
Residents at Marahau, Little Sydney and Brooklyn valleys were isolated.
Twin bridges at Marahau and Sandy Bay, the Shaggery, and Rocky Creek bridges were are out.
Records show the flood was about the fourth biggest ever.
One house (approximately four people) near Appleby bridge was evacuated.
Baton recorded 235 mm (23.5 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Several hundred residences were without power from 10:00pm on the 11thto 6.30pm on the 12th.
Dovedale water supply was cut off, affecting 330 homes.
Power was cut for seven hours.
A man was injured in a motor vehicle accident at Pohara on the 11th.
Victim with suspected spinal injuries was flown out of Golden Bay.
90 people stranded in Golden Bay were flown out in 12 special flights.
Golden Bay residents and valleys on the west bank of the Motueka River were isolated for days.
Power cut for three hours.
A bach was upturned at Honeymoon Bay.
Several hundred residences were without power on the 12th.
Maitai recorded 105 mm (10.5 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Civil Defence Emergency was declared in Motueka at 9:30am to 5:00pm on the 13th. It was declared when the rising Motueka River threatened to break its banks and flood many low-lying horticultural and residential areas.
Floodwaters inundated properties.
It was one of the worst floods in Motueka history and it could be classified as 100 year flood.
Roads were washed out by rain, slips and flooding.
The estimated repair costs to roads were in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Falling trees cut power to 1000 homes in Motueka.
The river level started to drop at 2:00pm on the 12th and by 4:30pm all rivers were in recession and rainfall had ceased throughout the district.
The Motueka to Kohatu road, State Highway 61, was closed by large slips especially in the Dovedale area and the Marahau-Sandy Bay road and the Kaiteriteri road were also cut.
Most of the erosion damage was on the eastern side of the river.
Motueka River had hovered at the peak flood level for about 24 hours.
Motueka Gorge recorded 154 mm (15.4 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Moss Bush recorded 349 mm (34.9 cm) of rain in 72 hours (which has a return period of 90 years).
Moss Bush recorded 314 mm (31.4 cm) of rain in 48 hours (which has a return period of 116 years).
Moss Bush recorded 224 mm (22.4 cm) of rain in 24 hours (which has a return period of 50 years).
Motupiko recorded 76 mm (7.6 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
There were washouts on State Highway 61 at Pangatotara and at the southern approach to the Shaggery Bridge.
Pokororo recorded 258 mm (25.8 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Riwaka recorded 293 mm (29.3 cm) of rain over the 11th and the 12th.
Riwaka River had two breaches of the stopbank. The river first breached the true right stopbank and a more extensive 60 m long breach followed further upstream. Volunteers were called in to lay sandbags.
Baton and Tadmor tributaries reached heights of 3.2m and 2.9m respectively.
Twelve people were rescued from Riwaka by the coastguard boat.
People were evacuated from the Riwaka Hotel area.
A 49 year old man died while attempting to cross the swollen Little Sydney Valley Stream on the 11th, near Swamp Road, Riwaka.
Kiwifruit growers round Riwaka were desperately pumping water from their fields on the 14th and many apple and nashi pear orchards were still underwater.
The Riwaka Valley was cut in several places by slips. One of the biggest covered the road and also buried a stock yard, leaving only the top rail of the 1.8 m high stock fence visible.
Long time residents of Riwaka district said it was the worst flood they had ever known.
22 people were evacuated by helicopter from the area known as Peach Island, after water began entering their propeties and had completely cut off the area.
Stanley Brook recorded 250 mm (25.0 cm) of rain in 36 hours.
Stanley Brook recorded 305 mm (30.5 cm) of rain in 48 hours.
Tadmor recorded 136 mm (13.6 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Power was cut for seven hours.
The Moutere highway was reduced to one way traffic.
Upper Takaka recorded 179 mm (17.9 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Lee Gauge, above the Waimea Plains recorded 148 mm (14.8 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Waingaro River, 12 km from Takaka township, recorded 336 mm (33.6 cm) in 36 hours ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Mouth of Wairoa Gorge recorded 150 mm (15.0 cm) of rain ending 8:00am on the 12th.
Wangapeka recorded 280 mm (28.0 cm) of rain during the 36 hours on the 11th and 12th.
Woodstock recorded 280 mm (28.0 cm) of rain during the storm.
Motueka River reached at 6.05 m peak at Woodstock.
Farmers with ewes lambing early, lost many lambs.
Power was lost for seven hours.
Marlborough recorded 80-100 mm (8-10 cm) of rain in 40 hours.
A kiwifruit packing shed was demolished.
Rivers were high.
There were several dropouts and slips in the steep country of the Marlborough Sounds which closed a number of roads.
Queen Charlotte Drive was closed.
Kenepuru Road was closed.
Waitui Road at Titirangi was closed.
Repair cost estimated for the lower Wairau River system and the above Waihopai was $423,000 ($640,400 2009 dollars).