In several places between Oamaru and Timaru and north of Oamaru, the railway was under water. A bad washout occurred on Waitaki River embankment and others between Richmond and Hilderthorpe. Railway traffic was completely restored between Dunedin and Invercargill by the 13th.

The Manawatu River was in heavy flood on the 6th. The river subsided greatly during the night of the 7th

The water at Fitzherbert bridge was within 3 ft (91 cm) of the highest floodwater mark.

The sports ground was half under water on the 6th.

Drowned cattle were seen in the river on the 7th.

On the 7th, about 14 ft (4.3 m) of the massive groyne recently erected was carried bodily away. All groynes erected were submerged.

The peak discharge of the Manawatu River on the 7th was 50,000 cusecs (1416 cumecs).

The flood deposited a lot of silt at Shannon.

Some farmers resorted to feeding their stock tree leaves.

The rivers and creeks were in flood and the low-lying lands were submerged.

Some areas under crop on the banks of the Ruamahanga River were washed away.

The whole country from Orari to Timaru was practically one broad sea of water. Thousands of acres of land and scores of miles of roads were entirely under water.

Many dozens of families were confined to their cottages, which were surrounded with water 1 ft (31 cm) deep.

The Opihi and Temuka Rivers were raging torrents nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and the water was within 2 or 3 ft (61-91 cm) of the decking of bridges.

The South Canterbury rivers were all in high flood.

The train services on the lowlands were disorganised. The line between St Andrews and Waitaki was flooded by several washouts on the morning of the 8th and no train got through that day. On the main railway line there was through communication to Timaru only on the 9th. The line to Fairlie was reopened on the 9th after the floods between Washdyke and the Levels subsided.

Some accidents at river crossings were reported.

Creeks were phenomenally high and houses in their vicinity were flooded, with the water rushing through them.

The heavy downpour on the 7th was unable to get away, resulting in mini floods in many parts of the city and suburbs. Several houses were invaded by the water. A very large number of houses around Redcliffs had their floors awash.

The Avon River was 3 ft (91 cm) above normal at 1pm on the 7th and still rising.

In the lower-lying parts of the town culverts were blocked at their outlets, causing stormwater to back up and flood the streets.

The manufacture of gas at the gasworks was stopped when the pumping station could not cope with the enormous quantity of water. The gasworks started again on the night of the 7th.

At Sumner, large quantities of water were coming down the hills, and the main street was flooded in parts.

The flood subsided rapidly on the evening of the 7th when the rain ceased.

Thee direct wires with the north were still interrupted.

Some of the suburbs, especially those to the eastward, were thoroughly flooded along the route of the old city and suburban tramway line.

Up till late on the evening of the 7th, the low ground near the river was almost completely submerged. Hundreds of acres and large areas looked as if they were permanent swamps. A few houses were surrounded by shallow moats of water. In various parts of Linwood the water lay all afternoon.

Small watercourses became formidable streams. On the Cashmere Hills, every gully carried a roaring torrent of water and the streams formed frequent waterfalls.

The Avon River was swollen by rain as well as opposed by the tide, and overflowed at many points before subsiding in the afternoon.

On the Christchurch side of the hills, the waters nearly all joined and practically converted the flat land into a huge yellow lake.

Surface water did a good deal of damage at Dyer's Pass Road at the foot of the hill.

From Heathcote to Woolston the land above the railway was flooded and presented the appearance of a lake.

At Redcliffs, there was a scene of desolation, with the whole place practically under water for acres and acres. At one time people were punting down the main street.

In Peck's store water was above the level of the floor and considerable damage was done.

Sumner residents suffered heavily. Nayland and Stoke Streets were awash from fence to fence.

Low-lying land between the baths and the Deaf and Dumb Institute was flooded at an early hour on the morning of the 7th. A copious torrent of water brought large rocks and much silt, putting residents in that area in a perilous position.

By 1pm water was bubbling through the floor boards of Marina Hotel. Within half an hour the licensee had to remove all stores and fittings from the dining room onto the first floor.

At its worst, water covered the whole ground floor of Marina Hotel to 3-4 in (7.6-10.2 cm) deep.

The butcher's shop near the hotel was covered to a depth of about 3 ft (91 cm).

The south coach from Cheviot had an accident on the 8th while attempting to cross the Conway River, and two horses were drowned.

At Kapua, the side station and some houses were surrounded by several feet of water.

The approaches to the Kurow railway bridge were considerably damaged. The Kurow railway branch was still blocked on the 10th.

Damage the the line was extensive. The flood waters of the Waikarua and Awamoko Streams and the Otekaieke and Kurow Rivers spread out over the flats and burst through the railway emabankment at many places.

The Lincoln township was reported to be flooded.

There was a big washout on the railway line at Otaio.

The same state of things as in Timaru prevailed at Pleasant Point.

At Pleasant Point a horse was drowned and the trap was carried into deep water.

There was a big washout on the railway line at Saltwater Creek.

The same state of things as in Timaru prevailed at Temuka.

There was a washout at the Washdyke station yard.

In Timaru, flood waters failed to escape by the drains. Several houses were more or less flooded.

At Hole and Co.'s brewery the cellars were flooded and the malt kiln fires were put out.

At Kirk's brickyard a flood invaded the drying shed and kiln. 60,000 bricks which were drying were softened and destroyed.

Water was 2 ft (61 cm) deep on the kiln floor at Kirk's.

Road traffic northwardwas was upset by the damage to Washdyke bridge.

Damage was expected to late-sown wheat by the rotting of the seed.

Several residents in low-lying streets had to leave their homes on the night of the 7th, as water came in over the kitchen floor.

The floodwaters were clearing on the 9th.

The worst damage done in the Timaru district was the eating away of the north bank of the Waihao River at the railway bridge.

Waimate Creek was in heavy flood and all the low-lying country was deeply inundated.

Railway communication was cut off all day on the 8th due to a washout about 1 mile (1.6 km) from town.

No mails came from outside places all day.

The creek washed away portions of the road-line and the approaches to the bridge and the piping carrying the town water supply, cutting off the supply from the reservoir.

The bridge over the creek leading to the Mayor's residence was washed away.

One family had to leave their home on the night of the 7th, when the flood threatened to carry it away.

A storm culvert on Lake Wainono, at the outlet of the Waihao and other streams through the beach, was carried away.

Otago was visited by phenomenal flood. Large tracts of the province were under water on the 9th.

On the level a good deal of stock was lost.

Serious damage was done to the permanent way between Oamaru and Glenavy. The largest break was 1/2 chain (10 m) long and 12 ft (3.7 m) deep, about 1/2 mile (805 m) south of the Waitaki River.

Late on the afternoon of the 8th a farmer witnessed a huge body of water break through near the railway viaduct with a rush and roar and sweep down on paddocks in a mass 5 or 6 chains (101-121 m) wide and a couple of feet high.

The line near Allanton was submerged under a turbid mass of water for 3 miles (4.8 km). A passenger train for Dunedin was detained at Milton with many passengers stranded.

The water overflowed the railway platform, then flooded the floors of the station offices. At 9:15pm the stationmaster was standing in 8 in (20.3 cm) of water.

The railway platform was submerged some 2 ft (61 cm) deep.

The new bridge across the Taieri was about 6 in (15.2 cm) above the level of the water and almost impassable.

O'Donnell's Crescent Hotel stood in water up to the handle of the front door, despite being on high ground. Many houses had water level with the verandah.

Water was rising to the houses at the rate of 1 in (2.5 cm) per minute.

One Taieri farmer estimated he had lost 500 hoggets on the flat land.

Above Allanton the railway line was submerged to an estimated depth of 4 or 5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) in places.

At Allanton the road was reported to be still submerged on the 10th.

Around Allanton, all the soil recently turned over was swept away along with the vegetables.

At Berwick the Waipori River rose 6 ft (1.8 m) between 10pm on the 7th and 6pm on the 8th, and it was still rising.

The river crossings were badly damaged in Blue Mountain riding, both being silted up and one also cut off by washouts at both sides.

A family was rescued after being isolated in their house near Bushey, between Shag River and Muddy Creek. At daybreak there was1 ft (32 cm) of water in the house and it was still rising.

The handrails of the bridge at Bushey were washed away and the approaches were damaged. There was a washout near the White bridge on the Main North Road and the road had to be closed while it was repaired.

At Clarendon, a great rush of water swept away a culvert, making a huge breach in the road and leaving it impassable.

Roads in Deep Stream were damaged through the flooding of the creeks and streams feeding the Taieri River. Some access roads to grazing runs were closed to vehicular traffic.

The Bluff road was badly damaged and unsafe for travelling after dark. A crossing at Dunback was slightly damaged.

Continuous rain at East Taieri caused one of the largest floods known in the district for many years.

One farmer suffered a serious loss in valuable cattle and horses and two East Taieri farmers lost all their pigs. Five of Mr Shand's horses were drowned and a few others were missing. He also lost 45 cattle. Mr Kirkland lost 40 sheep, 40 sows, 2 boars, 80 young pigs and a good many young cattle.

Several Waipori electric poles between Outram and Mosgiel were washed out.

Roads in East Taieri were dmaged through the flooding of both the Silverstream and the Taieri River. Between Otokia and Henley, the Main South road was submerged. Down the Centre road at East Taieri, the water was nearly level with the top of the fences on the 11th, and traffic was impossible.

Six homesteads in the East Taieri locality were isolated.

The Waiareka Stream was in heavy flood at Enfield and spread over the whole valley, entering several houses. A great part of the Enfield township was under water.

A washout 70 yards (64 m) long occurred on the railway line 1/4 mile from Enfield.

Communication by horse was impossible owing to the volume of water flowing over the road.

There was over 2 ft (61 cm) of water in the rooms at the accommodation house.

The flood at Enfield was said to be the worst on record.

Many families had to be temporarily accommadated by neighbours.

The creek rose 8 ft (24 m) in 3-4 hours.

At Georgetown, the Waikarua Stream cut a chasm one chain (20 m) wide and 15 ft (4.6 m) deep, and water was still pouring through it on the 10th.

Near Goodwood the worst damage reported was a little gravel washed away.

A lot of damage was done by the floods to the lower end of the road through Green Valley. Every crossing was badly damaged and there were a few serious washouts. In the worst washout two chains of the Main road were washed away to a depth of 6 or 7 ft (1.8 or 2.1 m). There was little damage to the bridge. Near the Green Valley schoolhouse both the culvert and bank were washed away and near Hogan's camp another culvert was badly smashed.

The Taieri River overflowed at Henley.

On the afternoon of the 9th water was reported to be pouring in at the windows of the White House Hotel.

Some outhouses and buildings were washed away. Pretty much everyone in the Henley locality suffered to some extent.

Poultry and cats were drowned. Many cattle were drowned around Henley, with the Henley Company being the biggest loser. On the 11th, most of the cattle near Henley were still in water up to their necks. One farmer lost a horse valued at £45 ($6,500 2008 dollars). Another farmer lost 12 milch cows which ate tutu, and two other farmers found 12 of their cattle dead.

A large portion of the railway line was washed away near Henley.

At Henley the deposit of silt was 4-6 in (10-15 cm) in places.

A 92-year-old woman was rescued at Henley, nearly blind and apparently helpless, from a rapidly disappearing house. She was almost dead.

The road between Henley on the Main road and the railway station was still submerged on the 16th. At the Henley Bridge the road was being torn away.

Around Henley West the water was still 2-3.5 ft (61 cm-1.1 m) deep on the 20th.

There was an extensive washout on the railway line at Hilderthorpe.

At Hindon, a number of telegraph poles were loosened and falling.

The river found its way into at least one house on the banks.

A very old resident said the river had risen 12 ft (3.7 m) within 24 hours, making it the biggest flood in 20 years.

The Hyde railway yard was under 12 in (31 cm) of floodwater.

About a mile from Kokonga there was a very serious washout on the railway line. The rails spanned a hole 15 ft (4.6 m) wide and 15 ft (4.6 m) deep, caused by a mountain torrent.

Three footbridges over the Kyeburn River were carried away.

It was feared that Mr Robertson of Lee Creek was the heaviest stock and crop loser in the Taieri district. He had at least 30 cattle drowned and acres and acres of young crop, valued at £8 ($1,200 2008 dollars) a ton, ruined.

Two culverts in McRaes riding were damaged.

Roads in Maungatua were damaged through the bursting of the river embankments.

In Meadowbank riding the worst damage reported was a little gravel washed away. The Switchback Rd crossing was damaged and impassable and Munro's crossing was slightly damaged. Dreaver's and Alexandria crossings were also slightly damaged.

Owing to rain and snow the river and creeks were in high flood.

Middlemarch was flooded, with most of the township under water.

The Sheepwash bridge was partially wrecked and was closed to traffic. The roads were reported to be damaged in all directions.

A torrent 3 ft (91 cm) deep was running through the main street.

The water entered Horn's store and did considerable damage. The worst flooding was in the basements of houses.

60 commercial train travellers were blocked in Milton from the night of the 8th until the 10th.

The Momona district appeared to be completely cut off.

The Mosgiel borough water supply was cut off through a break in the line at one of the Silverstream crossings.

The Ngapara railway branch was still blocked on the 10th.

Roads in North Taieri were damged through the flooding of the Silverstream.

Oamaru Creek rose until it was almost as high as in March 1902. It began to fall in the early hours of the 8th, as the rain eased off.

Oamaru Creek overflowed its banks and came through the Gardens, doing extensive damage to flower beds.

Many yards in the flat portion of town were under water and a few basements were flooded.

In the country, water was in sheets in many places.

All the train services inland and north were stopped. Railway traffic was resumed on the main line on the 10th.

At Otokia the river was very high, the water in the river having risen higher than on any previous occasion.

The flood in the neighbourhood of Otokia was very severe.

Long stretches of the main road were submerged.

On the morning of the 9th, the road was submerged to a depth of 9 ft (2.7 m) in parts.

There was 2 ft (61 cm) of water in Mr O'Leary's store.

There was a serious breach in the ebmankment at Otokia bridge, and both bridge approaches were entirely swept away and rendered impassable. The road approach to the bridge was washed away for two chains (40 m).

A gang of carpenters and railway men at Otokia had their huts covered by water and spent the day and night of the 9th stuck in the rafters of a goods shed.

Many cattle were drowned at Otokia, where the farms were only approachable by boat.

Houses were submerged, haystacks ruined and property destroyed. A property immediately below the bridge was very much damaged. The fences were swept clean, the paddocks badly scoured and there was a great deal of debris around.

The embankment on the Maungatua side of Otokia bridge was swept clean away for two chains (40 m), leaving a drop of 8 ft (2.4 m) at the end.

About a mile below Otokia the railway was badly damaged and the rails were left hanging.

At the pumping station on the "C" Drain, a tremendous hole was washed by the river and the land turned into a lake over half an acre wide. Soundings showed the water was 20 ft (6.1 m) deep.

The pumping station was a wreck and the water-wheel and machinery were completely destroyed.

Mr Malcom's carpenter's shop, probably about the highest building in the township, had water to a depth of 13 in (33 cm) inside.

The huts of the men working at Otokia were flooded to the height of the rafters.

The train from Outram to Mosgiel was delayed indefinitely by the bridge at the Silverstream having shifted and been blocked by with fallen trees. There were eight washouts along the Outram railway line, most of the gaps being a chain or 2 wide (20-40 m), with the rails and sleepers hanging across the gaps.

At Outram, the Taieri was bank-high at 8:30pm on the 8th and the approaches to the bridge were under water.

The embankment protecting the West Taieri Plain gave way for about 3 chains (60 m) at a point near Mr Blair's farm, about 1/2 mile from Outram.

In Outram, the waters didn't come above the doorsteps.

Roads in Outram were damaged through the bursting of the river embankments.

The Riverside flag station was completely destroyed.

There was at least 4 ft (1.2 m) of water over the railway bridge.

On the 8th and 9th communication between Palmerston and various parts of the district was cut off.

At the bridge near the Palmerston Dairy Factory the approach was washed away.

Roads in Strath Taieri were damaged through the flooding of the creeks and streams feeding the Taieri River. Some access roads to grazing runs were closed to vehicular traffic.

Old residents said the Silverstream had not been so high for the last quarter of a century.

The supports of the footbridge on the Wingatui-North Taieri road were washed away early on the morning of the 8th and the bridge was left hanging.

The Owhiro Creek overflowed its banks.

Near the railway station the creek submerged a road to a depth of 3-4 ft (91 cm-1.2 m).

Wilkie's flourmill, near the railway station, stood entirely surrounded by a considerable depth of water.

Parts of properties were submerged.

The Taieri River was said to be higher than it had been since the great floods of 1878.

The phenomenal height of the Taieri was caused by the backing up of its tributaries in the lowlands, resulting in the water steadily spreading over the surface of the land.

The Taieri Plain had long stretches of water between groups of small islands. Practically the whole plain from about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Mosgiel, was under water. Ditches were bank-high and paddocks were a series of swamps.

The Owhiro-Gladfield road was impassable on both sides.

Beyond Owhiro, water was everywhere right down to the other end of Lake Waihola.

West Taieri was flooded badly. The roof of the Gladfield Railway Station appeared above the water like the shell of a gigantic turtle.

The Black bridge and the footbridge across the Silverstream were completely demolished.

About 10pm, the west bank of Taieri River burst near Mr Blair's property and the whole of West Taieri became speedily flooded.

Many people were marooned on the roofs of houses and sheds for days and nights, and people had to be rescued. A rescue boat was rowed with ease over fences. One house had water to halfway up the windows and the family was stuck in the hay loft for 24 hours. Another family spent the night in the rafters of their house.

Immense quantities of snow were clogging the mountains.

Between Mosgiel and Milton, the rise of the river was phenomenally rapid and the whole damage was caused in less than 12 hours.

The Taieri Plain was still waterlogged and partially submerged on the 10th.

There were a number of washouts at approaches to bridges. There was a gaping hole 12 ft (3.7 m) deep in the approach to the West Taieri bridge. The bridge was passable again on the 22nd.

There was debris hanging from trees along the river banks.

Stock losses on the Taieri Plain were moderate. Poultry and pigs were drowned. One farmer had 130 pigs and 20 calves drowned. Losses from Otokia downwards were fairly light, with some cattle lost and one or two horses. The water was bitterly cold, which contributed to the stock losses. Mr Murray lost 30-40 sheep and Mr Gamble lost 15 pigs and a number of fowls.

A number of crops were lost. One farmer lost 70 acres (0.28 km^2) of early wheat.

Between Waihola and Allanton there were about eight washouts on the railway line.

One farmer estimated his losses at £300 ($43,500 2008 dollars).

The greatest damage done lay in the area between Henley, Otokia, Allanton, Riverside and Outram, and from there stretching to Berwick. The worst damage around Milton and Waihola was a washed-out culvert.

The Taieri River embankment was damaged in nine places altogether, near Outram, Allanton, Momona, Otokia and Henley.

On the 14th the whole country below Momona towards Otokia was still flooded and houses were still surrounded. On the 16th, the Taieri Plain between Allanton and Otokia still presented a scene of desolation. Houses more than half submerged marked a roadway.

Some roads on the Taieri had their surface wrenched away, baring patches of stone outcrop, and yards of road metal was washed away. Considerable damage was done to county roads in West Taieri, where the floodwaters scoured out all the bridges and culverts in their track.

Large quantities of stored potatoes and fruit were ruined.

The cost of repairing the roads and bridges in the Taieri was estimated at £5000 ($724,300 2008 dollars).

From a line below Mosgiel drawn across the plain at right angles to the railway to a similar line drawn from Otokia, £1200 or £1300 ($173,800-$188,300 2008 dollars) was estimated to cover the stock losses.

In the same area as above, damage to furniture, houses and outbuildings was estimated at £600-£700 ($86,900-$101,400 2008 dollars), and damage to land, including fences, etc. was estimated at £350 ($50,700 2008 dollars) - a total of £950-£1050 ($137,600-$152,100 2008 dollars).

Within 36 hours of the rain commencing the protective banks were burst at places from Outram to Henley, and the plain was flooded at daylight on the 8th.

Whole hedge lines of trees were tilted grossly out of position by the action of floodwaters on their roots.

The new electric line to Waipori suffered severely. In one place spars were leaning far over the road.

The flood on the Taieri rose 2 ft 6 in (76 cm) higher than any previous flood.

This flood was not only a record for height but also for the damage caused to both public and private property.

The cost of the bridges and culverts destroyed on roads giving access to Crown lands was estimated at £1150 ($166,600 2008 dollars).

The silting up of the rivers and lakes caused by the deposits from the mining areas contributed to the severity of the flood.

Practically all farm work was suspended.

In the paddock where the first break in the embankment occurred the silt deposit was 2 ft 6 in (76 cm) deep.

In other places silt was spread to an average depth of about 3 in (7.6 cm).

On the morning of the 8th the Shag River and smaller streams were in a state of high flood.

At 6am the Shag River was within 2 ft (61 cm) of the mark reached by the disastrous flood of 1892. The water commenced to recede at about noon.

Farmers in the lower Shag Valley were the principal sufferers. A Bushey farmer lost 160 ewes. Another farmer lost a valuable draught filly and about 30 sheep, another lost two cattle and another also lost some sheep.

Turnip crops suffered severely.

The roads in several parts of the county were submerged.

The total damage done to Waihemo County property was estimated at £500 ($72,400 2008 dollars).

The racecourse and recreation grounds were completely flooded. The greater portion of Cherry Farm was under water.

The Waikouaiti River was in high flood and was rising again on the night of the 8th.

The main road was covered for several chains at each end of the Waikouaiti bridge.

At one place on the main road the water was up to 3 ft (91 cm) deep.

A number of sheep drowned on the Island Farm.

The Taieri River was in very high flood at Waipiata at 8pm and later the streets were under water.

The river was high and stilll rising on the 9th.

The greater part of the Wingatui racecourse was practically under water.