NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
July 1978 North Island Storm
(
1978-07-18
)
A storm brought high winds, flooding and high seas to Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Manawatu-Wanganui. A man was drowned in the sea in Northland. High winds and seas caused significant property damage in the eastern Waikato.
North Island
Multi Hazard
at
North Island
Duration: 4 days - From the 18th to the 21st of July.
A depression developed in the north Tasman Sea, bringing easterly winds to the Waikato. The deep low pressure system moved slowly south east. It had a pressure gradient of two-and-a-half millibars. It was normally about half a millibar.
A severe storm accompanied by gale to storm force winds struck the northern part of the Hauraki Catchment District. The areas most affected were the Coromandel Peninsula, and the western side of the Thames Valley from Te Aroha northward. The storm was also accompanied by widespread rainfall and very high sea levels and caused widespread damage over the country.
A combination of storm force winds and high spring tide levels caused damage to beaches in the Cormandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty.
Maritime / Coastal
The stormy wet weather disrupted shipping at most North Island ports.
Northland
High Wind / Gust
at
Northland
Northland experienced a howling gale on the 18th.
There were winds of 41-55 knots (76-102 km/hr).
The high winds caused damage around Northland.
Power was cut to some places. Some homes were without power for 24 hours.
Hundreds of properties were damaged. Some houses lost their roofs.
Winds gusted up to 150 km/hr.
Multi Hazard
Both town and country roads were blocked.
Telephone lines were out of order between Dargaville and Maungaturoto.
Northland experienced a violent storm on the 19th.
Flooding
Low-lying regions were flooded.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bay of Islands
Ferry services in the Bay of Islands were disrupted.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bream Bay
A barge went ashore at Bream Bay.
There was a large swell of between 7-8 m on the coast.
High Wind / Gust
at
Dargaville
Roofs were lifted off sheds.
Multi Hazard
at
Gumtown
Gumtown Road was without power on the 19th.
Multi Hazard
at
Kaikohe
A dozen areas around Kaikohe werer without power.
Flooding
at
Kawakawa
Flooding at Bailey bridge cut off the northern part of the Kawakawa township and the highway to the Bay of Islands.
Flooding
Bay of Islands College was closed due to flooding.
Landslide
Numerous slips occurred.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kerikeri
Widespread tree damage was reported in Kerikeri.
Multi Hazard
at
Matarau
Matarau was without power on the 19th.
Flooding
at
Moerewa
Bay of Islands Intermediate School cancelled school buses to rural areas.
Flooding
at
Motatau
Motatau School was closed due to flood waters on the 18th.
Motatau school was completely isolated.
High Wind / Gust
at
Opua
The gale struck an unfinished house at Opua, smashing it to the ground.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Paihia
At Paihia, waves crossed the road and flooded lawns on the 18th.
A 45-year-old man was presumed drowned after being swept off a tug in the Bay of Islands during the night of the 17th/18th.
Multi Hazard
at
Parua Bay
Parua Bay School was closed due to power cuts and because the school bus was unable to get through the floods.
Flooding
at
Pataua
At Pataua, eight or nine homes were flooded.
Multi Hazard
Pataua was without power on the 19th.
Flooding
at
Rawene
Rawene lost its water supply after the pipeline from the Waipa dam to the Rawene reservoir was broken in many places.
Multi Hazard
at
Springfield
Springfield was without power on the 19th.
Multi Hazard
at
Taraunui
Taranui Road was without power on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waihue
Sheds collapsed on a Waihue property.
Heavy Rain
at
Waiotu
The Waiotu area received over 180 mm (18.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 19th.
Heavy Rain
at
Waitangi
Waitangi recorded 850 mm (85.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 18th.
Multi Hazard
at
Whangarei
Kara Road was without power on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
Whangarei was hit by high winds.
Multi Hazard
at
Whangarei Heads
Whangarei Heads School was closed due to power cuts.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whangaruru Bay
A house at Whangaruru Bay was undermined by erosion.
Multi Hazard
at
Wheki Valley
Weki Valley was without power on the 19th.
Auckland
Maritime / Coastal
at
Auckland
Pleasure boats were wrecked in Auckland.
East coast beach erosion occurred.
High Wind / Gust
Trees were uprooted.
High winds tore roofing iron from buildings and some lightly constructed buildings were blown over. One house was blown off its foundations.
Power lines crashed.
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland City
Auckland City had winds gusting to about 50 knots (93 km/hr) on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Beachlands
Beachlands was without power.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Browns Bay
A keeler was washed onto rocks at Browns Bay.
High Wind / Gust
at
Devonport
A fence was blown down in Devonport.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf recorded winds of up to 70 knots (130 km/hr) on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Howick
Howick was without power.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Leigh
Three launches were driven ashore at Leigh Harbour with holes in their hulls.
At Mathesons Bay, waves ate 10 m into the shore.
The picnic ground facilities were destroyed, and the area was left covered with silt and debris.
High Wind / Gust
at
Te Papapa
Te Papapa was without power.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island was without power.
High Wind / Gust
at
Warkworth
At Warkworth, high winds shattered windows and tore off roofing.
Power lines were broken.
Flooding
Surface flooding occurred.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Waitemata Harbour
A ferry was holed at Westhaven. Four yachts were wrecked at Northcote Point.
High Wind / Gust
Large areas were without power at different times as high winds brought tree branches down on lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waiwera
A large tree blocked State Highway 1 at Waiwera.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellsford
At Wellsford, high winds shattered windows and tore off roofing.
Power lines were broken.
Flooding
Surface flooding occurred.
Waikato
Multi Hazard
at
Waikato
More than 100 homes were damaged.
The Coromandel Peninsula experienced heavy winds and rain on the 18th. It appeared that the areas of most severe wind damage were parallel to the Coromandel Range between Te Aroha and Paeroa extending into parts of the Piako, Ohinemuri and the Hauraki Plains Counties northward to Thames and various areas on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula.
High Wind / Gust
Telephone communication was cut on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Much of the peninsula was without power for over 24 hours due to the high winds. In some areas the distribution of electric power was disrupted for several days. This inevitably affected a number of electrically powered flood pump stations including those along Awaiti Canal and southward to Ahikope (Elstow) where flooding occurred.
The winds badly damaged houses along the coast. Many hundreds of trees were blown down, to add to the damage on farms.
Coromandel Peninsula had gusts of 80 knots (148 km/hr).
There were declarations of Civil Defence emergency in various areas including Te Aroha and part of Piako County, Thames, Tairua, and Whitianga in the Thames-Coromandel District.
There were no fatalities or even serious injuries caused by the wind.
Maritime / Coastal
Massive erosion and damage was caused on the Coromandel. Serious waterfront erosion devastated most beaches on the east coast of the peninsula.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Cooks Beach
Cooks Beach suffered from erosion, with 18 m of beach frontage washed away.
Schools and shops were likely to be closed.
Several baches were in danger of being undermined by the sea. Four houses were almost completely undermined and seven more suffered from property erosion. Verandahs were washed away and waves smashed windows on some houses.
There was a 3.1-metre tide at Cooks Beach.
Heavy Rain
at
Coromandel
Coromandel recorded 144 mm (14.4 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
High Wind / Gust
Trees were blown down along coastal roads and telephone communication was lost.
Coromandel was without power for 36 hours.
In the township, a garage along Tiki Road was completely wrecked and some boat were blown off their moorings.
Wyna Bay residents were the worst affected. Trees were blown down, three house roofs were blown off, windows were blown in and television aerials were damaged. One house was almost a complete wreck.
Maritime / Coastal
Ruffin's Bay residents were marooned until the 21st because of particularly high tides.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Hahei
At Hahei, 15 m of coastline had gone into the sea.
There was an erosion scarp in the foredune adjacent to the stream mouth leading to the beach which endangered three adjoining residences. Up 25 metres of foreshore had disappeared and one house was within 3m, two within 9m and one within 12m of the foredune.
High Wind / Gust
Telephones and power were cut.
Trees and shrubs were uprooted.
At least 10 houses lost their roofs and torrential rain poured into the interiors.
Roads were closed with floods and slips.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hauraki Plains
There was mainly damage to farm buildings and trees although some houses had their roofs damaged.
There was disruption to the electricity supply which caused problems for dairy farmers.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Hot Water Beach
Hotwater Beach suffered extensive damage.
Flooding
at
Kauaeranga River
Kauaeranga River reached a peak flow at the gauging station of about 900 cumecs at 11.15am on the 18th. This was the largest flood recorded at the station (covering 25 years).
Extensive sandbagging was deemed necessary to safeguard the stopbank at one point where leakage required precautionary measures. Freeboard in places was as little as 12 cm.
Heavy Rain
at
Kauaeranga
Kauaeranga Valley recorded 242 mm (24.2 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
Flooding
Kauaeranga Valley was cut off by flood waters for some hours. The roads were covered by floodwater.
The river reached the highest flood level since the 1935 floods of 11.35 m.
High Wind / Gust
Many people had roofing iron uplifted and wrapped around nearby trees, some were missing tiles and suffer badly damaged fences. A house, that was newly constructed, was virtually demolished.
The electricity was cut to the area.
Some trees fell across sheds or houses.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kennedy Bay
At Kennedy Bay four houses lost their roofs.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Kuaotunu
An erosion scarp into the foredune was visible at the western end of the beach.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Matarangi
Some minor foredune erosion is visible at the eastern end of the beach.
Flooding
at
Ohinemuri River
Ohinemuri River peaked at Karangahake at 2.40pm on the 19th. No particular problems in the main channels or stopbank system were experienced.
Heavy Rain
at
Paeroa
Paeroa recorded 199 mm (19.9 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
High Wind / Gust
A state of emergency was declared in Paeroa on the 19th.
At Paeroa, 20 houses were damaged. Most of the houses affected by the wind had sheets of roofing irons ripped away or windows or glass panel doors blown in and this allowed the driving rain to soak into the interior of the buildings.
Industrial and commercial premises, countless farm buildings, carsheds and other buildings were damaged.
The Supervalue Supermarket was severely damaged. An estimated cost of the damage was around $15,000 ($83,100 2010 dollars). The Te Aroha-Thames Valley Cooperative Dairy Company had an estimated damage bill amounting to several thousands of dollars due to wind damage to the factory.
The electricity supply was disrupted in most areas during the storm.
Flooding
Houses were flooded in Paeroa.
The torrential rain caused wide-spread flooding and was perhaps the worst flooding for over 20 years.
High Wind / Gust
at
Papaaroha
At Papaaroha houses lost their roofs.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Pauanui
At Pauanui, extensive foreshore was washed away.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Simpsons Beach (Wharekaho Beach)
Along Simpson's Beach many beach frontages were eroded and undermined.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Tairua
Tairua suffered extensive damage.
Tidal surges occurred in the Tairua Harbour caused flooding on the foreshore area between the state highway and Paku.
The biggest problem was in the harbour. At Royal Billy Point on the Pauanui side there was serious erosion and the harbour entrance was twice as wide as it was 48 hours ago.
There was some erosion on Ocean Beach.
In the harbour the foreshore was washed away and about 40 to 50 houses up to Manaia Road were surrounded by water.
High Wind / Gust
A state of emergency was first declared in Tairua at 10.10am on the 19th when it was known that at least 20 houses there had lost their roofs.
Flooding
at
Tairua River
Tairua River peaked at about 1pm on the 19th at about annual flood level.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Aroha
Te Aroha recorded 165 mm (16.5 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
High Wind / Gust
Te Aroha experinced gale force winds.
In Te Aroha and along the lee side of the Kaimai's, damage was especially severe, with very significant stuctural failures.
A state of emergency was declared for the Te Aroha and Piako County storm from early in the morning on the 19th to 1pm on the 20th.
Mt Te Aroha (951 m elevation) recorded a peak wind gust of 120 knots (222 km/hr) on the 19th, at 090 degrees true.
High winds blew off about 30 roofs in the western areas of Te Aroha. Ten houses suffered major structural damage and one house was demolished by the wind. 120 houses had cladding removed and another eight buildings had structural damage. Farm buildings suffered heavily.
Several families were temporarily made homeless after iron was torn from their roofs.
Telephone and electricity services were cut when lines were brought down across streets.
A caravan was overturned by the wind.
At Te Aroha, winds gusts were extimated at 90-100 knots (167-185 km/hr).
The estimated return period of the wind was 30-50 years.
A train derailed at Te Aroha, where several rail wagons were lost off the Waihou River bridge.
Stanley Ave was one of the worst hit areas. One of the hardest hit was the Te Aroha College Old Boys and Te Aroha Squash Club building which had its entire roof ripped off.
Heavy Rain
at
Thames
Thames recorded 4 in (9.68 cm) of rain in 24 hours ending at 9am on the 19th. It was the highest 24 hour rainfall on record for the last 12 years.
Thames recorded 141 mm (14.1 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
Flooding
Thames experienced flooding from the 19th to the 21st.
The event was estimated to have a 20 year return period.
The flood reached the highest level recorded since 1935.
Houses were flooded in Thames.
Thousands of dollars of damage was done to a Thames motel by the floods.
Power was restored after an 18 hour blackout and about $15,000 ($83,100 2010 dollars) worth of damage had been caused to the supply system. The fact that there was no power created problems. There was no standby plant for the present sewerage system, water could not be treated and milk could not be bottled.
The Kauaeranga River flooded the State Highway south of the Kauaeranga bridge causing the Ministry of Transport to close passage across it .
Rhodes Park was 3 ft (0.91 m) under water.
Kauaeranga River peaked at 11.6 metres. This was the highest ever recorded at the time and Thames was lucky that the peak did not coincide with high tide.
Karaka Creek flooded badly but was contained by sandbags.
Substantial overflow occurred across State Highway 26 from Kirikiri Stream and Puriri River. Areas of farmland were flooded together with several houses.
Maritime / Coastal
Thames was cut off via State Highway 25 by the tide.
High Wind / Gust
There were at least 35 houses in the town that were partly or completely deroofed. Roof tiles of some houses were dislodged by high winds.
Multi Hazard
Slips and flooding occurred on the Coast Road north of Thames.
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared for Thames Valley on the morning of the 19th and called off at 10.25am on the 21st.
Flooding
at
Waihou River
Waihou River peaked at Te Aroha at 9am on the 22nd. No particular problems in the main channels or stopbank system were experienced.
High Wind / Gust
at
Whangamata
A house in Tangaroa Street had its roof and ceiling ripped off during the height of the storm.
A house in Achilles Ave had its window blown in and its roof lifted off and dumped in the backyard.
Trees were blown down and fences were blown over.
The sand dunes on the beach were seriously eroded for the whole length of the beach.
Several boats were seriously damaged.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whangapoua
An erosion scarp into the foredune was visible for the full length of the beach.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whiritoa
Due to very high sea and wave levels the foredune receded at the eastern end of the beach.
Heavy Rain
at
Whitianga
Whitianga recorded 124 mm (12.4 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 17th to the 18th of July.
Multi Hazard
Whitianga residents described the storm as the worst for 30 years.
The electricity was disrupted.
Flooding
The schools at Mercury Bay and Coroglen were closed due to flooding on the school property and roads being flooded outside.
High Wind / Gust
Houses had windows blown out, sheds and caravans blown over.
Maritime / Coastal
Protection works against storms was ripped apart.
Basement and gardens of the Esplanade Road area were flooded when the seas covered the area up to 2 feet (0.61 m) deep.
Serious erosion was evident right along Buffalo Beach.
State Highway 25 between Albert and Halligan Roads was undermined by heavy seas.
A state of emergency was declared in the Whitianga area. Waves were breaking on the Buffalo Beach and Esplanade Roads. Volunteer firemen and helpers filled up hundreds of sandbags and placed them along the footpath of Esplanade Road extending from the wharf to Albert Street corner.
Three commercial fishing launches and other small craft were damaged in the Whitianga area.
Bay of Plenty
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bowentown
Erosion to the foredune was fairly serious in the Bowentown area. Opposite the camping ground at Bowentown there was barely a foot of the tarsealed parking area not washed away.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Island View
Erosion occurred right along the beach in the Island View area.
Multi Hazard
at
Waihi Beach
Waihi Beach escaped serious damage from the storm.
Manawatu-Wanganui
High Wind / Gust
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
High tension lines were downed in Manawatu.
High Wind / Gust
at
Levin
Levin experienced power cuts.
Some iron roofs were blown off by the wind.
Levin recorded a peak wind gust of 69 knots (128 km/hr) on the 19th, at 100 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Taumarunui
Power lines were blown down at Taumarunui.
Trees were blown down.
References
- Environment Waikato. History of Flood Events on the Thames Coast.
- Environment Waikato. State of Emergency Declarations in the district since 1976.
- Hauraki Catchment and Regional Water Board, Preliminary Report on the Storm July 18th - 19th 1978.
- Headline: Wind Hazard.
- Hessell, J.W.D; Holloway, R.H.F; Knowles, D.G.; Roberts, J.L. (1984). Scientific, Economic and Social Reviews of Natural Hazards in New Zealand, New Zealand National Commission For UNESCO, Wellington.
- New Zealand Meteorological Service, Technicial Information Circular No.191, Extreme Wind Gusts.
- Reid, S.J., (1979). Meteorological effects of the storm in the New Zealand area, 18-21 July 1978. Technical Note No.238, New Zealand Meteorological Service.
- Headline: General Chaos: Whitianga.
- Thames Star, 20 July (Thursday) 1978.
- Headline: Hardest Hit.
- Thames Star, 20 July (Thursday) 1978.
- Headline: Roofs Fly, Rivers Flood, Beach Houses Threatened … Civil Emergency Continues Today.
- Thames Star, 20 July (Thursday) 1978.
- Headline: Emergency Off: Counting The Cost Starts.
- Thames Star, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Tairua Ravaged By Wind And Sea.
- Thames Star, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Worst Damage In Memory.
- Thames Star, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: East Coast Beaches Suffer In Storm.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 15 August (Tuesday) 1978.
- Headline: Many Buildings Damaged In The July Storm.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 15 August (Tuesday) 1978.
- Headline: First emergency for Thames Valley C.D. organisation.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Island View, Bowentown hit by storm.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Mopping Up In Thames: Emergency Still In Force.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: No Serious Damage On Plains.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Over 50 Houses Hit At Te Aroha.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Paeroa Buildings Suffer Damage.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Whitianga Hit By Wind And Sea.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Storm Damage At Hahei Beach.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 28 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Whitianga Still Cleaning Up.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 28 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: 80mph Wind Lashes Auckland.
- The New Zealand Herald, 19 July (Wednesday) 1978.
- Headline: 80mph wind lashes Auckland.
- The New Zealand Herald, 19 July 1978.
- Headline: Storm blasts province: Flooding and gales hit homes, boats.
- The New Zealand Herald, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Gale Batters Ships At Seas.
- The New Zealand Herald, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Lawns flooded by waves in Paihia.
- The Northern Advocate, 19 July 1978.
- Headline: Workemen work through night to fix damage in the west.
- The Northern Advocate, 19 July 1978.
- Headline: More chaos in north as storm goes.
- The Northern Advocate, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Weather forces search to halt.
- The Northern Advocate, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Fierce storm puts Te Aroha under siege.
- The Waikato Times, 19 July 1978.
- Headline: Coromandel mops up storm mess.
- The Waikato Times, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Peninsula again lashed by gale.
- The Waikato Times, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Damage Reported at Whangamata.
- Waihi Gazette, 20 July (Thursday) 1978.
- Headline: Storm Damage.
- Waihi Gazette, 27 July (Thursday) 1978.
July 1978 North Island Storm
(
1978-07-18
)
A storm brought high winds, flooding and high seas to Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Manawatu-Wanganui. A man was drowned in the sea in Northland. High winds and seas caused significant property damage in the eastern Waikato.
North Island
Multi Hazard
at
North Island
Duration: 4 days - From the 18th to the 21st of July.
A depression developed in the north Tasman Sea, bringing easterly winds to the Waikato. The deep low pressure system moved slowly south east. It had a pressure gradient of two-and-a-half millibars. It was normally about half a millibar.
A severe storm accompanied by gale to storm force winds struck the northern part of the Hauraki Catchment District. The areas most affected were the Coromandel Peninsula, and the western side of the Thames Valley from Te Aroha northward. The storm was also accompanied by widespread rainfall and very high sea levels and caused widespread damage over the country.
A combination of storm force winds and high spring tide levels caused damage to beaches in the Cormandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty.
Maritime / Coastal
The stormy wet weather disrupted shipping at most North Island ports.
Northland
High Wind / Gust
at
Northland
Northland experienced a howling gale on the 18th.
There were winds of 41-55 knots (76-102 km/hr).
The high winds caused damage around Northland.
Power was cut to some places. Some homes were without power for 24 hours.
Hundreds of properties were damaged. Some houses lost their roofs.
Winds gusted up to 150 km/hr.
Multi Hazard
Both town and country roads were blocked.
Telephone lines were out of order between Dargaville and Maungaturoto.
Northland experienced a violent storm on the 19th.
Flooding
Low-lying regions were flooded.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bay of Islands
Ferry services in the Bay of Islands were disrupted.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bream Bay
A barge went ashore at Bream Bay.
There was a large swell of between 7-8 m on the coast.
High Wind / Gust
at
Dargaville
Roofs were lifted off sheds.
Multi Hazard
at
Gumtown
Gumtown Road was without power on the 19th.
Multi Hazard
at
Kaikohe
A dozen areas around Kaikohe werer without power.
Flooding
at
Kawakawa
Flooding at Bailey bridge cut off the northern part of the Kawakawa township and the highway to the Bay of Islands.
Flooding
Bay of Islands College was closed due to flooding.
Landslide
Numerous slips occurred.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kerikeri
Widespread tree damage was reported in Kerikeri.
Multi Hazard
at
Matarau
Matarau was without power on the 19th.
Flooding
at
Moerewa
Bay of Islands Intermediate School cancelled school buses to rural areas.
Flooding
at
Motatau
Motatau School was closed due to flood waters on the 18th.
Motatau school was completely isolated.
High Wind / Gust
at
Opua
The gale struck an unfinished house at Opua, smashing it to the ground.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Paihia
At Paihia, waves crossed the road and flooded lawns on the 18th.
A 45-year-old man was presumed drowned after being swept off a tug in the Bay of Islands during the night of the 17th/18th.
Multi Hazard
at
Parua Bay
Parua Bay School was closed due to power cuts and because the school bus was unable to get through the floods.
Flooding
at
Pataua
At Pataua, eight or nine homes were flooded.
Multi Hazard
Pataua was without power on the 19th.
Flooding
at
Rawene
Rawene lost its water supply after the pipeline from the Waipa dam to the Rawene reservoir was broken in many places.
Multi Hazard
at
Springfield
Springfield was without power on the 19th.
Multi Hazard
at
Taraunui
Taranui Road was without power on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waihue
Sheds collapsed on a Waihue property.
Heavy Rain
at
Waiotu
The Waiotu area received over 180 mm (18.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 19th.
Heavy Rain
at
Waitangi
Waitangi recorded 850 mm (85.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 18th.
Multi Hazard
at
Whangarei
Kara Road was without power on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
Whangarei was hit by high winds.
Multi Hazard
at
Whangarei Heads
Whangarei Heads School was closed due to power cuts.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whangaruru Bay
A house at Whangaruru Bay was undermined by erosion.
Multi Hazard
at
Wheki Valley
Weki Valley was without power on the 19th.
Auckland
Maritime / Coastal
at
Auckland
Pleasure boats were wrecked in Auckland.
East coast beach erosion occurred.
High Wind / Gust
Trees were uprooted.
High winds tore roofing iron from buildings and some lightly constructed buildings were blown over. One house was blown off its foundations.
Power lines crashed.
High Wind / Gust
at
Auckland City
Auckland City had winds gusting to about 50 knots (93 km/hr) on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Beachlands
Beachlands was without power.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Browns Bay
A keeler was washed onto rocks at Browns Bay.
High Wind / Gust
at
Devonport
A fence was blown down in Devonport.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf recorded winds of up to 70 knots (130 km/hr) on the 19th.
High Wind / Gust
at
Howick
Howick was without power.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Leigh
Three launches were driven ashore at Leigh Harbour with holes in their hulls.
At Mathesons Bay, waves ate 10 m into the shore.
The picnic ground facilities were destroyed, and the area was left covered with silt and debris.
High Wind / Gust
at
Te Papapa
Te Papapa was without power.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island was without power.
High Wind / Gust
at
Warkworth
At Warkworth, high winds shattered windows and tore off roofing.
Power lines were broken.
Flooding
Surface flooding occurred.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Waitemata Harbour
A ferry was holed at Westhaven. Four yachts were wrecked at Northcote Point.
High Wind / Gust
Large areas were without power at different times as high winds brought tree branches down on lines.
High Wind / Gust
at
Waiwera
A large tree blocked State Highway 1 at Waiwera.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wellsford
At Wellsford, high winds shattered windows and tore off roofing.
Power lines were broken.
Flooding
Surface flooding occurred.
Waikato
Multi Hazard
at
Waikato
More than 100 homes were damaged.
The Coromandel Peninsula experienced heavy winds and rain on the 18th. It appeared that the areas of most severe wind damage were parallel to the Coromandel Range between Te Aroha and Paeroa extending into parts of the Piako, Ohinemuri and the Hauraki Plains Counties northward to Thames and various areas on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula.
High Wind / Gust
Telephone communication was cut on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Much of the peninsula was without power for over 24 hours due to the high winds. In some areas the distribution of electric power was disrupted for several days. This inevitably affected a number of electrically powered flood pump stations including those along Awaiti Canal and southward to Ahikope (Elstow) where flooding occurred.
The winds badly damaged houses along the coast. Many hundreds of trees were blown down, to add to the damage on farms.
Coromandel Peninsula had gusts of 80 knots (148 km/hr).
There were declarations of Civil Defence emergency in various areas including Te Aroha and part of Piako County, Thames, Tairua, and Whitianga in the Thames-Coromandel District.
There were no fatalities or even serious injuries caused by the wind.
Maritime / Coastal
Massive erosion and damage was caused on the Coromandel. Serious waterfront erosion devastated most beaches on the east coast of the peninsula.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Cooks Beach
Cooks Beach suffered from erosion, with 18 m of beach frontage washed away.
Schools and shops were likely to be closed.
Several baches were in danger of being undermined by the sea. Four houses were almost completely undermined and seven more suffered from property erosion. Verandahs were washed away and waves smashed windows on some houses.
There was a 3.1-metre tide at Cooks Beach.
Heavy Rain
at
Coromandel
Coromandel recorded 144 mm (14.4 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
High Wind / Gust
Trees were blown down along coastal roads and telephone communication was lost.
Coromandel was without power for 36 hours.
In the township, a garage along Tiki Road was completely wrecked and some boat were blown off their moorings.
Wyna Bay residents were the worst affected. Trees were blown down, three house roofs were blown off, windows were blown in and television aerials were damaged. One house was almost a complete wreck.
Maritime / Coastal
Ruffin's Bay residents were marooned until the 21st because of particularly high tides.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Hahei
At Hahei, 15 m of coastline had gone into the sea.
There was an erosion scarp in the foredune adjacent to the stream mouth leading to the beach which endangered three adjoining residences. Up 25 metres of foreshore had disappeared and one house was within 3m, two within 9m and one within 12m of the foredune.
High Wind / Gust
Telephones and power were cut.
Trees and shrubs were uprooted.
At least 10 houses lost their roofs and torrential rain poured into the interiors.
Roads were closed with floods and slips.
High Wind / Gust
at
Hauraki Plains
There was mainly damage to farm buildings and trees although some houses had their roofs damaged.
There was disruption to the electricity supply which caused problems for dairy farmers.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Hot Water Beach
Hotwater Beach suffered extensive damage.
Flooding
at
Kauaeranga River
Kauaeranga River reached a peak flow at the gauging station of about 900 cumecs at 11.15am on the 18th. This was the largest flood recorded at the station (covering 25 years).
Extensive sandbagging was deemed necessary to safeguard the stopbank at one point where leakage required precautionary measures. Freeboard in places was as little as 12 cm.
Heavy Rain
at
Kauaeranga
Kauaeranga Valley recorded 242 mm (24.2 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
Flooding
Kauaeranga Valley was cut off by flood waters for some hours. The roads were covered by floodwater.
The river reached the highest flood level since the 1935 floods of 11.35 m.
High Wind / Gust
Many people had roofing iron uplifted and wrapped around nearby trees, some were missing tiles and suffer badly damaged fences. A house, that was newly constructed, was virtually demolished.
The electricity was cut to the area.
Some trees fell across sheds or houses.
High Wind / Gust
at
Kennedy Bay
At Kennedy Bay four houses lost their roofs.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Kuaotunu
An erosion scarp into the foredune was visible at the western end of the beach.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Matarangi
Some minor foredune erosion is visible at the eastern end of the beach.
Flooding
at
Ohinemuri River
Ohinemuri River peaked at Karangahake at 2.40pm on the 19th. No particular problems in the main channels or stopbank system were experienced.
Heavy Rain
at
Paeroa
Paeroa recorded 199 mm (19.9 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
High Wind / Gust
A state of emergency was declared in Paeroa on the 19th.
At Paeroa, 20 houses were damaged. Most of the houses affected by the wind had sheets of roofing irons ripped away or windows or glass panel doors blown in and this allowed the driving rain to soak into the interior of the buildings.
Industrial and commercial premises, countless farm buildings, carsheds and other buildings were damaged.
The Supervalue Supermarket was severely damaged. An estimated cost of the damage was around $15,000 ($83,100 2010 dollars). The Te Aroha-Thames Valley Cooperative Dairy Company had an estimated damage bill amounting to several thousands of dollars due to wind damage to the factory.
The electricity supply was disrupted in most areas during the storm.
Flooding
Houses were flooded in Paeroa.
The torrential rain caused wide-spread flooding and was perhaps the worst flooding for over 20 years.
High Wind / Gust
at
Papaaroha
At Papaaroha houses lost their roofs.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Pauanui
At Pauanui, extensive foreshore was washed away.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Simpsons Beach (Wharekaho Beach)
Along Simpson's Beach many beach frontages were eroded and undermined.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Tairua
Tairua suffered extensive damage.
Tidal surges occurred in the Tairua Harbour caused flooding on the foreshore area between the state highway and Paku.
The biggest problem was in the harbour. At Royal Billy Point on the Pauanui side there was serious erosion and the harbour entrance was twice as wide as it was 48 hours ago.
There was some erosion on Ocean Beach.
In the harbour the foreshore was washed away and about 40 to 50 houses up to Manaia Road were surrounded by water.
High Wind / Gust
A state of emergency was first declared in Tairua at 10.10am on the 19th when it was known that at least 20 houses there had lost their roofs.
Flooding
at
Tairua River
Tairua River peaked at about 1pm on the 19th at about annual flood level.
Heavy Rain
at
Te Aroha
Te Aroha recorded 165 mm (16.5 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
High Wind / Gust
Te Aroha experinced gale force winds.
In Te Aroha and along the lee side of the Kaimai's, damage was especially severe, with very significant stuctural failures.
A state of emergency was declared for the Te Aroha and Piako County storm from early in the morning on the 19th to 1pm on the 20th.
Mt Te Aroha (951 m elevation) recorded a peak wind gust of 120 knots (222 km/hr) on the 19th, at 090 degrees true.
High winds blew off about 30 roofs in the western areas of Te Aroha. Ten houses suffered major structural damage and one house was demolished by the wind. 120 houses had cladding removed and another eight buildings had structural damage. Farm buildings suffered heavily.
Several families were temporarily made homeless after iron was torn from their roofs.
Telephone and electricity services were cut when lines were brought down across streets.
A caravan was overturned by the wind.
At Te Aroha, winds gusts were extimated at 90-100 knots (167-185 km/hr).
The estimated return period of the wind was 30-50 years.
A train derailed at Te Aroha, where several rail wagons were lost off the Waihou River bridge.
Stanley Ave was one of the worst hit areas. One of the hardest hit was the Te Aroha College Old Boys and Te Aroha Squash Club building which had its entire roof ripped off.
Heavy Rain
at
Thames
Thames recorded 4 in (9.68 cm) of rain in 24 hours ending at 9am on the 19th. It was the highest 24 hour rainfall on record for the last 12 years.
Thames recorded 141 mm (14.1 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 18th to the 19th of July.
Flooding
Thames experienced flooding from the 19th to the 21st.
The event was estimated to have a 20 year return period.
The flood reached the highest level recorded since 1935.
Houses were flooded in Thames.
Thousands of dollars of damage was done to a Thames motel by the floods.
Power was restored after an 18 hour blackout and about $15,000 ($83,100 2010 dollars) worth of damage had been caused to the supply system. The fact that there was no power created problems. There was no standby plant for the present sewerage system, water could not be treated and milk could not be bottled.
The Kauaeranga River flooded the State Highway south of the Kauaeranga bridge causing the Ministry of Transport to close passage across it .
Rhodes Park was 3 ft (0.91 m) under water.
Kauaeranga River peaked at 11.6 metres. This was the highest ever recorded at the time and Thames was lucky that the peak did not coincide with high tide.
Karaka Creek flooded badly but was contained by sandbags.
Substantial overflow occurred across State Highway 26 from Kirikiri Stream and Puriri River. Areas of farmland were flooded together with several houses.
Maritime / Coastal
Thames was cut off via State Highway 25 by the tide.
High Wind / Gust
There were at least 35 houses in the town that were partly or completely deroofed. Roof tiles of some houses were dislodged by high winds.
Multi Hazard
Slips and flooding occurred on the Coast Road north of Thames.
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared for Thames Valley on the morning of the 19th and called off at 10.25am on the 21st.
Flooding
at
Waihou River
Waihou River peaked at Te Aroha at 9am on the 22nd. No particular problems in the main channels or stopbank system were experienced.
High Wind / Gust
at
Whangamata
A house in Tangaroa Street had its roof and ceiling ripped off during the height of the storm.
A house in Achilles Ave had its window blown in and its roof lifted off and dumped in the backyard.
Trees were blown down and fences were blown over.
The sand dunes on the beach were seriously eroded for the whole length of the beach.
Several boats were seriously damaged.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whangapoua
An erosion scarp into the foredune was visible for the full length of the beach.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Whiritoa
Due to very high sea and wave levels the foredune receded at the eastern end of the beach.
Heavy Rain
at
Whitianga
Whitianga recorded 124 mm (12.4 cm) of rain in 48 hours from the 17th to the 18th of July.
Multi Hazard
Whitianga residents described the storm as the worst for 30 years.
The electricity was disrupted.
Flooding
The schools at Mercury Bay and Coroglen were closed due to flooding on the school property and roads being flooded outside.
High Wind / Gust
Houses had windows blown out, sheds and caravans blown over.
Maritime / Coastal
Protection works against storms was ripped apart.
Basement and gardens of the Esplanade Road area were flooded when the seas covered the area up to 2 feet (0.61 m) deep.
Serious erosion was evident right along Buffalo Beach.
State Highway 25 between Albert and Halligan Roads was undermined by heavy seas.
A state of emergency was declared in the Whitianga area. Waves were breaking on the Buffalo Beach and Esplanade Roads. Volunteer firemen and helpers filled up hundreds of sandbags and placed them along the footpath of Esplanade Road extending from the wharf to Albert Street corner.
Three commercial fishing launches and other small craft were damaged in the Whitianga area.
Bay of Plenty
Maritime / Coastal
at
Bowentown
Erosion to the foredune was fairly serious in the Bowentown area. Opposite the camping ground at Bowentown there was barely a foot of the tarsealed parking area not washed away.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Island View
Erosion occurred right along the beach in the Island View area.
Multi Hazard
at
Waihi Beach
Waihi Beach escaped serious damage from the storm.
Manawatu-Wanganui
High Wind / Gust
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
High tension lines were downed in Manawatu.
High Wind / Gust
at
Levin
Levin experienced power cuts.
Some iron roofs were blown off by the wind.
Levin recorded a peak wind gust of 69 knots (128 km/hr) on the 19th, at 100 degrees true.
High Wind / Gust
at
Taumarunui
Power lines were blown down at Taumarunui.
Trees were blown down.
References
- Environment Waikato. History of Flood Events on the Thames Coast.
- Environment Waikato. State of Emergency Declarations in the district since 1976.
- Hauraki Catchment and Regional Water Board, Preliminary Report on the Storm July 18th - 19th 1978.
- Headline: Wind Hazard.
- Hessell, J.W.D; Holloway, R.H.F; Knowles, D.G.; Roberts, J.L. (1984). Scientific, Economic and Social Reviews of Natural Hazards in New Zealand, New Zealand National Commission For UNESCO, Wellington.
- New Zealand Meteorological Service, Technicial Information Circular No.191, Extreme Wind Gusts.
- Reid, S.J., (1979). Meteorological effects of the storm in the New Zealand area, 18-21 July 1978. Technical Note No.238, New Zealand Meteorological Service.
- Headline: General Chaos: Whitianga.
- Thames Star, 20 July (Thursday) 1978.
- Headline: Hardest Hit.
- Thames Star, 20 July (Thursday) 1978.
- Headline: Roofs Fly, Rivers Flood, Beach Houses Threatened … Civil Emergency Continues Today.
- Thames Star, 20 July (Thursday) 1978.
- Headline: Emergency Off: Counting The Cost Starts.
- Thames Star, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Tairua Ravaged By Wind And Sea.
- Thames Star, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Worst Damage In Memory.
- Thames Star, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: East Coast Beaches Suffer In Storm.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 15 August (Tuesday) 1978.
- Headline: Many Buildings Damaged In The July Storm.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 15 August (Tuesday) 1978.
- Headline: First emergency for Thames Valley C.D. organisation.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Island View, Bowentown hit by storm.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Mopping Up In Thames: Emergency Still In Force.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: No Serious Damage On Plains.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Over 50 Houses Hit At Te Aroha.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Paeroa Buildings Suffer Damage.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Whitianga Hit By Wind And Sea.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Storm Damage At Hahei Beach.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 28 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Whitianga Still Cleaning Up.
- Thames Valley Gazette, 28 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: 80mph Wind Lashes Auckland.
- The New Zealand Herald, 19 July (Wednesday) 1978.
- Headline: 80mph wind lashes Auckland.
- The New Zealand Herald, 19 July 1978.
- Headline: Storm blasts province: Flooding and gales hit homes, boats.
- The New Zealand Herald, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Gale Batters Ships At Seas.
- The New Zealand Herald, 21 July (Friday) 1978.
- Headline: Lawns flooded by waves in Paihia.
- The Northern Advocate, 19 July 1978.
- Headline: Workemen work through night to fix damage in the west.
- The Northern Advocate, 19 July 1978.
- Headline: More chaos in north as storm goes.
- The Northern Advocate, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Weather forces search to halt.
- The Northern Advocate, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Fierce storm puts Te Aroha under siege.
- The Waikato Times, 19 July 1978.
- Headline: Coromandel mops up storm mess.
- The Waikato Times, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Peninsula again lashed by gale.
- The Waikato Times, 20 July 1978.
- Headline: Damage Reported at Whangamata.
- Waihi Gazette, 20 July (Thursday) 1978.
- Headline: Storm Damage.
- Waihi Gazette, 27 July (Thursday) 1978.