A Civil Defence emergency was declared in Hastings and Havelock North from 9:30am to 7:30pm on the 16th.

1300 subscribers in the Napier-Hastings area, 137 in Central Hawke's Bay area and 240 in Wairoa were without telephone services. Exchanges at Omakere, Elsthrope, Porangahau, Tutira, Patoka and Waimarama were also out for varying periods. The disruption of services was mainly because of water damage to cables and wind which brought down trees on lines.

Thousands of acres of farmland was inundated in the Hastings and Havelock North area.

Streets in Hastings, Napier, Havelock North and Taradale were awash. In low-lying areas water entered houses and the families were forced to flee.

In country areas floodwaters flooded roads.

Hundreds of sheep were drowned. One farmer lost 140 sheep and another lost 200 sheep.

Tons of silt was left spread across the paddocks of Clifton Station.

Floodwaters invading dozens of homes and baches in Te Awanga and Clifton.

There was serious and extensive flooding in Hastings.

100 people were evacuated from their homes in Copeland and Lumsden Roads, and Clive and Churchill Streets in the suburb of Akina, where floodwaters flowed through their homes.

Low-lying areas around Hastings flooded and these areas faced additional problems as sewers became overloaded.

100 people were evacuated from Haumoana.

Floodwater got into all low-lying houses in Haumoana village.

The new Havelock North Intermediate School was closed for a week. Damage was caused by silt in classrooms and around the grounds after water flowed through the buildings.

Other schools and kindergartens in Hastings and Havelock North were closed.

A 24 year old man died when car plunged into the flooded Karituwhenua Stream in Napier Road, Havelock North at 3.15am on the 16th.

A bridge was washed away on Te Mata Road, Havelock North, cutting a pipe and sending thousands of gallons of drinking water into an already flooded stream.

30 houses in Glenpark Place were cut off when the approach to a bridge to their homes was washed away.

In Napier Road, floodwaters got into four homes and scoured out drives and gardens. A block of shops also on Napier Road, opposite the cenotaph in Havelock North, was flooded.

One house in Havelock North suffered structural damage when a gum tree crashed onto the roof.

Waiapu House, a home for elderly people, lost electricity.

Early estimates of the damage bill was up to $50,000 ($491,400 2010 dollars).

A new bridge to replace the Glenpark Place bridge was estimated to cost about $25,000 ($245,700 2010 dollars).

In Maraetotara Valley some families were isolated and without power and telephone services.

Henry Hill and Pirimai primary school and Wycliffe Intermediate were closed.

Country schools reported to be closed because of inaccessible roads were Kereru, Puketitiri, Willow Flat and Porangahau.

Four people were evacuated from the masonic flats.

Two boats were called in to carry families from 16 homes flooded in Pirimai, a suburb of Napier.

Number of streets were closed including Kennedy Road, Wycliffe Street, Coverdale Street, Maadi Road, Menin Road, Tom Parker Avenue and Westminster Avenue.

The shopping area at Onekawa was surrounded by water.

Some elderly were evacuated from the masonic flats at Taradale.

The Te Awanga store, garage and motels were hit with water up to 2 ft (0.61 m) deep.

Many houses were carpeted by silt.

The bridge just north of Te Awanga was blocked by debris.

A farmer lost 50 cords of wood valued at $2000 ($19,700 2010 dollars).

Many acres of grazing land was silted over.

Bridges and fences were ripped down

The flood was the most savage flood in living memory and was the worst in the area since 1936.

One farmer lost a small lambing shed, floodgates and three chain of fences, all of which were completely wiped out.

Electricity to Waimarama valley was cut for almost 24 hours.

In Waimarama township a flooded creek burst its banks sending water through the community hall.