NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
February 1997 Canterbury Flash Flood ( 1997-02-04 )
Flooding
Prolonged rain (4 days) and rising river waters caused a nearly completed dam to partially collapse, resulting in a flash flood that swept over Pleasant Point area during the night of the 5th of February 1997.
Canterbury
Multi Hazard
at
South Canterbury
Duration: - 4 days of consistant rain fell in Canterbury from the 4th to the 8th of February 1997.
Flooding
at
Pleasant Point
Continuous rain over the previous 4 days caused the collapse of the Opuhua Dam near failie.
Heavy Rain
The catchment of the South and North Opuha rivers had rain for nearly 4 days prior to the dam collapse. Both rivers were high and areas of the riverbed showed scour.
Canterbury Regional Council advised the region of rising river levels througout the day (6th).
Flooding
at
Opuha River
Opuha River swept over 200 ha of farm land on
Flash flood killed more than 500 lambs on one property.
Campsite washed away in flash flood.
Car was swamped with water and filled with silt.
18 km of fencing was wrecked.
Flash floods flattened crops.
Flood caused boulders to be dumbed on fertile paddocks and tore up topsoil.
1 Farmer lost more than 200 head of stock, hay and baleage.
An orchard was destroyed.
30 farmers had land and stock affected.
The floodwaters were estimated to be as much as 14 million cubic metres.
Flooding
at
Stratheona
Riverside residents at Stratheona, near Pleasant Point, were evacuated.
Notification was given at 11.30 pm that the dam could breach and police, fire and ambulance were immediately notified.
At noon on the 5th the lake was rising at a rate of 100 mm an hour.
Civil Defence warn about possible release of water from dam. Civil Defence emergency lifted at 6.45 am on the 6th.
13 000 000 cubic metres of water lost from the dam in 45 minutes.
Water cuts a 2-3 m crack in the dam at 9.20 pm on the 5th.
Breach widens to 20 m wide and 6 m deep at 11.45 pm.
The lake volume was estiamted at 2 million cubic metres.
References
- Headline: $1 torch saves campers.
- The Press, 8 February 1997.
- Headline: Compensation sought.
- The Press, 8 February 1997.
- Headline: Farmers tell of massive flood damage.
- The Press, 8 February 1997.
- Headline: CD head sceptical of dam reports.
- The Press, 12 February 1997.
- Headline: From pristine paddocks to a wasteland.
- The Press, 12 February 1997.
- Headline: Lessons to be learned from burst Opuha dam.
- The Press, 21 February 1997.
- Headline: A farmer's heartbreak.
- The Press, 21 February 1997.
- Headline: Opuha farmers await help.
- The Press, 10 February 1997.
- Headline: Log countdown to dam breach released..
- The Press, 26 February 1997.
February 1997 Canterbury Flash Flood ( 1997-02-04 )
Flooding
Prolonged rain (4 days) and rising river waters caused a nearly completed dam to partially collapse, resulting in a flash flood that swept over Pleasant Point area during the night of the 5th of February 1997.
Canterbury
Multi Hazard
at
South Canterbury
Duration: - 4 days of consistant rain fell in Canterbury from the 4th to the 8th of February 1997.
Flooding
at
Pleasant Point
Continuous rain over the previous 4 days caused the collapse of the Opuhua Dam near failie.
Heavy Rain
The catchment of the South and North Opuha rivers had rain for nearly 4 days prior to the dam collapse. Both rivers were high and areas of the riverbed showed scour.
Canterbury Regional Council advised the region of rising river levels througout the day (6th).
Flooding
at
Opuha River
Opuha River swept over 200 ha of farm land on
Flash flood killed more than 500 lambs on one property.
Campsite washed away in flash flood.
Car was swamped with water and filled with silt.
18 km of fencing was wrecked.
Flash floods flattened crops.
Flood caused boulders to be dumbed on fertile paddocks and tore up topsoil.
1 Farmer lost more than 200 head of stock, hay and baleage.
An orchard was destroyed.
30 farmers had land and stock affected.
The floodwaters were estimated to be as much as 14 million cubic metres.
Flooding
at
Stratheona
Riverside residents at Stratheona, near Pleasant Point, were evacuated.
Notification was given at 11.30 pm that the dam could breach and police, fire and ambulance were immediately notified.
At noon on the 5th the lake was rising at a rate of 100 mm an hour.
Civil Defence warn about possible release of water from dam. Civil Defence emergency lifted at 6.45 am on the 6th.
13 000 000 cubic metres of water lost from the dam in 45 minutes.
Water cuts a 2-3 m crack in the dam at 9.20 pm on the 5th.
Breach widens to 20 m wide and 6 m deep at 11.45 pm.
The lake volume was estiamted at 2 million cubic metres.
References
- Headline: $1 torch saves campers.
- The Press, 8 February 1997.
- Headline: Compensation sought.
- The Press, 8 February 1997.
- Headline: Farmers tell of massive flood damage.
- The Press, 8 February 1997.
- Headline: CD head sceptical of dam reports.
- The Press, 12 February 1997.
- Headline: From pristine paddocks to a wasteland.
- The Press, 12 February 1997.
- Headline: Lessons to be learned from burst Opuha dam.
- The Press, 21 February 1997.
- Headline: A farmer's heartbreak.
- The Press, 21 February 1997.
- Headline: Opuha farmers await help.
- The Press, 10 February 1997.
- Headline: Log countdown to dam breach released..
- The Press, 26 February 1997.