NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
February 1985 Auckland and Waikato Flooding ( 1985-02-16 )
20-100 years
Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in Auckland and Waikato. A Civil Defence Emergency was declared for Thames Borough and Thames Valley Region. Severe damage was done in Te Aroha and the Thames area. Three people were killed and one injured when a torrent of debris overwhelmed a house in Te Aroha, and and a woman was drowned at Waiomu.
North Island
Multi Hazard
Duration: 2 days - From the 16th to the 17th of February.
Warm moist air from a high pressue zone was clashing with a low pressure trough to produce a broad band of rain. A characteristic north-east flow and frontal passage, but the gradients were not unusually strong. Convection caused an unstable spillover situation, where maximum rainfalls occur on the lee side of the ranges.
Heavy Rain
It was a 100 year event at 1% of New Zealand rain gauge sites.
Auckland
Flooding
at
Auckland
Flooding was experienced in parts of Auckland on the 16th and 17th.
The south-east area of Auckland was the most affected - Franklin County, Manukau, Papakura, Waiheke Island and Howick.
Many houses were flooded.
The effects of the flood may have been elevated due to the extent of the dry conditions preceeding it.
Landslide
at
Hunua Ranges
Considerable damage was done by erosion to land west of and including the Hunuas. Soil slipping occurred.
Flooding
at
Manakau Harbour
Wards bridge in Manakau was damaged beyond repair.
The estimated cost of replacement for Wards bridge was $150,000 ($370,000 2008 dollars).
Flooding
at
Papakura
15 houses were evacuated at Papakura.
Heavy Rain
at
Pukekohe
Pukekohe recorded 166 mm (16.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours (Return Period 50 years).
Landslide
at
Waiheke Island
Considerable damage was done by erosion on Waiheke Island. Soil slipping occurred.
Waikato
Multi Hazard
at
Waikato
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared for Thames Borough and Thames Valley Region at 6:10am on the 17th and lasted until the 22nd, due to flooding and landslides.
All major roads on the Coromandel Peninsula were closed.
Apart from Te Aroha, the worst damage extended from Kopu to Tapu, on either side of Thames.
The estimated Return Period was a 20 year event.
As at 1986, about 700 insurance claims had been made for the Thames-Coromandel District.
As at 1986, insurance claims for the Thames-Coromandel District were estimated at $3,591,000 ($7,887,000 2008 dollars).
Insurance Industry Payouts for Thames / Coromandel / Te Aroha totalled $5,900,000 ($14,600,000 2008 dollars).
Heavy Rain
From Coromandel to Thames, rainfalls were the highest on record. 24-hour totals were in excess of the three-day accumulations in the 1981 event. Some areas had extreme rainfalls of less than 24 hours, particularly at Te Aroha.
Flooding
Floods occurred in mountain streams on the Coromandel and Kamai Ranges.
Along the Thames coast a dozen or more streams became torrents.
There was widespread flooding in the Thames Coast-Te Aroha area.
Heavy Rain
at
Coromandel
Coromandel recorded 196 mm (19.6 cm) of rain in six hours.
Coromandel recorded 331 mm (33.1 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 17th (Return Period 85 years).
Coromandel recorded 226 mm (22.6 cm) of rain in the eight hours from 8pm to 4am on the 17th (Return Period more than 150 years).
Flooding
70 campers at the top of the peninsula were trapped.
Heavy Rain
at
Coromandel Range
The Coromandel Ranges recorded 320 mm (32.0 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Kauaeranga River
Kauaeranga Forest recorded 350 mm (3.5 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
The Kauaeranga River flooded.
A couple in Kauaeranga gorge had to be rescued from their caravan.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Aroha
Te Aroha recorded 600 mm (60.0 cm) in 12 hours.
Te Aroha recorded 127 mm (12.7 cm) of rain in six hours (Return Period 100 years).
Flooding
Te Aroha was the hardest hit.
The Waihou River flooded, and four streams contributed to flash flooding.
Huge boulders tumbled down into the street with the remains of trees. The whole business district was covered in waste from the waters. Cars were overturned.
A bridge north of the main stream was washed out.
The Army undertook blasting to take pressure off the dam.
Shops were destroyed, with their contents scattered. Nearly every shop and about 50 houses were damaged.
Landslide
Heavy rain caused an avalanche of sludge, boulders and logs, driven by the swollen streams, to race down Mt Te Aroha and into the town streets in the early hours of the 17th.
Three people, a 63-year-old woman, and two of her chilldren, a 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl, were killed when a house on Puriri Street was overwhelmed.
In the same incident, a 9-year-old girl was seriously injured after being swept 1500m from her home in a river of debris, finally becoming jammed in a tree.
The house was completely destroyed.
Multi Hazard
164 people, or about 50 families, were evacuated at Te Aroha.
As at 1986, about 350 insurance claims had been made.
As at 1986, insurance claims for Te Aroha were estimated at $2,500,000 ($5,490,000 2008 dollars).
Half the town was without a water supply. The water supply was cut off for 12 days.
Sewage lines were broken and the stormwater system was blocked.
Te Aroha was cut off from Morrinsville, Paeroa and Matamata.
Te Aroha schools were closed for one week.
Heavy Rain
at
Thames
Thames recorded 251 mm (25.1 cm) of rain in 24 hours (Return Period 150 years.
Multi Hazard
Some people were evacuated at Thames.
Phones and electricity were down.
As at 1986, insurance claims for urban Thames were estimated at $2,154,600 ($4,732,000 2008 dollars).
Flooding
Floodbanks were smashed in Thames.
Bridges were smashed and torrents undermined roads.
Flood waters inundated the hospital, shops and houses. 200 homes and over 30 businesses were flooded.
The main flood waters hit the town with little warning at about 4:30am.
Karaka and Hape Streams caused the main force of the flood.
The flood was named "Four year flood".
Five caravans at a Motor Camp were carried out to sea.
Damage from the flood looked worse than the 1981 flood.
Parts of the road lay under 1m of water.
Flooding
at
Waiomu
An elderly woman was drowned when she fell from her house into floodwaters and was swept away.
References
- Auckland Regional Water Board. (1986). Report on The Storm 16th February to 17th February 1985. Technical Publication No.33.
- Burgess, S.M. (1985). New Zealand Weather. Weather and Climate (1985) 5: 81-82.
- Environment Waikato. History of Flood Events on the Thames Coast.
- Environment Waikato. State of Emergency Declarations in the district since 1976.
- Howarth, M. (1986). Town in Trouble: Te Aroha, Thames.
- Insurance Councils. The Cost of Weather Loses, Claims history (Updated 2004).
- MCDEM, 2002.
- 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 Meteorological Service. Meteorological Observations for 1985, Stations in New Zealand and Outlying Islands, and Antarctica.
- New Zealand Meteorological Service. (2008). Meteorology of Extreme Rainfalls in New Zealand (Mark Pascoe, Ed.).
- Headline: Army blasts to ease unsafe dam.
- The Waikato Times, 18 February 1985.
- Headline: River of debris cuts path of destruction.
- The Waikato Times, 18 February 1985.
February 1985 Auckland and Waikato Flooding ( 1985-02-16 )
20-100 years
Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in Auckland and Waikato. A Civil Defence Emergency was declared for Thames Borough and Thames Valley Region. Severe damage was done in Te Aroha and the Thames area. Three people were killed and one injured when a torrent of debris overwhelmed a house in Te Aroha, and and a woman was drowned at Waiomu.
North Island
Multi Hazard
Duration: 2 days - From the 16th to the 17th of February.
Warm moist air from a high pressue zone was clashing with a low pressure trough to produce a broad band of rain. A characteristic north-east flow and frontal passage, but the gradients were not unusually strong. Convection caused an unstable spillover situation, where maximum rainfalls occur on the lee side of the ranges.
Heavy Rain
It was a 100 year event at 1% of New Zealand rain gauge sites.
Auckland
Flooding
at
Auckland
Flooding was experienced in parts of Auckland on the 16th and 17th.
The south-east area of Auckland was the most affected - Franklin County, Manukau, Papakura, Waiheke Island and Howick.
Many houses were flooded.
The effects of the flood may have been elevated due to the extent of the dry conditions preceeding it.
Landslide
at
Hunua Ranges
Considerable damage was done by erosion to land west of and including the Hunuas. Soil slipping occurred.
Flooding
at
Manakau Harbour
Wards bridge in Manakau was damaged beyond repair.
The estimated cost of replacement for Wards bridge was $150,000 ($370,000 2008 dollars).
Flooding
at
Papakura
15 houses were evacuated at Papakura.
Heavy Rain
at
Pukekohe
Pukekohe recorded 166 mm (16.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours (Return Period 50 years).
Landslide
at
Waiheke Island
Considerable damage was done by erosion on Waiheke Island. Soil slipping occurred.
Waikato
Multi Hazard
at
Waikato
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared for Thames Borough and Thames Valley Region at 6:10am on the 17th and lasted until the 22nd, due to flooding and landslides.
All major roads on the Coromandel Peninsula were closed.
Apart from Te Aroha, the worst damage extended from Kopu to Tapu, on either side of Thames.
The estimated Return Period was a 20 year event.
As at 1986, about 700 insurance claims had been made for the Thames-Coromandel District.
As at 1986, insurance claims for the Thames-Coromandel District were estimated at $3,591,000 ($7,887,000 2008 dollars).
Insurance Industry Payouts for Thames / Coromandel / Te Aroha totalled $5,900,000 ($14,600,000 2008 dollars).
Heavy Rain
From Coromandel to Thames, rainfalls were the highest on record. 24-hour totals were in excess of the three-day accumulations in the 1981 event. Some areas had extreme rainfalls of less than 24 hours, particularly at Te Aroha.
Flooding
Floods occurred in mountain streams on the Coromandel and Kamai Ranges.
Along the Thames coast a dozen or more streams became torrents.
There was widespread flooding in the Thames Coast-Te Aroha area.
Heavy Rain
at
Coromandel
Coromandel recorded 196 mm (19.6 cm) of rain in six hours.
Coromandel recorded 331 mm (33.1 cm) of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 17th (Return Period 85 years).
Coromandel recorded 226 mm (22.6 cm) of rain in the eight hours from 8pm to 4am on the 17th (Return Period more than 150 years).
Flooding
70 campers at the top of the peninsula were trapped.
Heavy Rain
at
Coromandel Range
The Coromandel Ranges recorded 320 mm (32.0 cm) of rain.
Heavy Rain
at
Kauaeranga River
Kauaeranga Forest recorded 350 mm (3.5 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
The Kauaeranga River flooded.
A couple in Kauaeranga gorge had to be rescued from their caravan.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Aroha
Te Aroha recorded 600 mm (60.0 cm) in 12 hours.
Te Aroha recorded 127 mm (12.7 cm) of rain in six hours (Return Period 100 years).
Flooding
Te Aroha was the hardest hit.
The Waihou River flooded, and four streams contributed to flash flooding.
Huge boulders tumbled down into the street with the remains of trees. The whole business district was covered in waste from the waters. Cars were overturned.
A bridge north of the main stream was washed out.
The Army undertook blasting to take pressure off the dam.
Shops were destroyed, with their contents scattered. Nearly every shop and about 50 houses were damaged.
Landslide
Heavy rain caused an avalanche of sludge, boulders and logs, driven by the swollen streams, to race down Mt Te Aroha and into the town streets in the early hours of the 17th.
Three people, a 63-year-old woman, and two of her chilldren, a 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl, were killed when a house on Puriri Street was overwhelmed.
In the same incident, a 9-year-old girl was seriously injured after being swept 1500m from her home in a river of debris, finally becoming jammed in a tree.
The house was completely destroyed.
Multi Hazard
164 people, or about 50 families, were evacuated at Te Aroha.
As at 1986, about 350 insurance claims had been made.
As at 1986, insurance claims for Te Aroha were estimated at $2,500,000 ($5,490,000 2008 dollars).
Half the town was without a water supply. The water supply was cut off for 12 days.
Sewage lines were broken and the stormwater system was blocked.
Te Aroha was cut off from Morrinsville, Paeroa and Matamata.
Te Aroha schools were closed for one week.
Heavy Rain
at
Thames
Thames recorded 251 mm (25.1 cm) of rain in 24 hours (Return Period 150 years.
Multi Hazard
Some people were evacuated at Thames.
Phones and electricity were down.
As at 1986, insurance claims for urban Thames were estimated at $2,154,600 ($4,732,000 2008 dollars).
Flooding
Floodbanks were smashed in Thames.
Bridges were smashed and torrents undermined roads.
Flood waters inundated the hospital, shops and houses. 200 homes and over 30 businesses were flooded.
The main flood waters hit the town with little warning at about 4:30am.
Karaka and Hape Streams caused the main force of the flood.
The flood was named "Four year flood".
Five caravans at a Motor Camp were carried out to sea.
Damage from the flood looked worse than the 1981 flood.
Parts of the road lay under 1m of water.
Flooding
at
Waiomu
An elderly woman was drowned when she fell from her house into floodwaters and was swept away.
References
- Auckland Regional Water Board. (1986). Report on The Storm 16th February to 17th February 1985. Technical Publication No.33.
- Burgess, S.M. (1985). New Zealand Weather. Weather and Climate (1985) 5: 81-82.
- Environment Waikato. History of Flood Events on the Thames Coast.
- Environment Waikato. State of Emergency Declarations in the district since 1976.
- Howarth, M. (1986). Town in Trouble: Te Aroha, Thames.
- Insurance Councils. The Cost of Weather Loses, Claims history (Updated 2004).
- MCDEM, 2002.
- 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 Meteorological Service. Meteorological Observations for 1985, Stations in New Zealand and Outlying Islands, and Antarctica.
- New Zealand Meteorological Service. (2008). Meteorology of Extreme Rainfalls in New Zealand (Mark Pascoe, Ed.).
- Headline: Army blasts to ease unsafe dam.
- The Waikato Times, 18 February 1985.
- Headline: River of debris cuts path of destruction.
- The Waikato Times, 18 February 1985.