NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
March 1880 Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington Flooding
(
1880-03-23
)
There was severe flooding in the Manawatu River and in the Wairarapa area. A three years old girl drowned after the Manawatu River overflowed its banks.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Flooding
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
There was a great flood in the Manawatu River on the 23rd and 24th.
The Manawatu River overflowed near Karere and a three year old girl was drowned when a vehicle capsized and she was washed away by the current.
All the settlers along the line sustained heavy losses.
One farmer lost 586 sheep and another lost 80 cattle.
Maori lost a great deal of sheep, pigs and potatoes.
Flooding
at
Foxton
Flooding was the heaviest to date.
Stock losses were cattle and poultry.
A house was seen rolling down the river. The owner lost almost everything with an estimated personal damage cost of £150 ($22,400 2009 dollars).
Flooding
at
Manawatu River
There were high flood levels through the Manawatu Gorge.
The peak level at the upper gorge bridge was 250.6 ft (76.4 m).
The peak discharge of the Manawatu River was 160,000 cusecs (4531 cumecs).
The flood was the highest known for many years, with the water rising a foot (0.30 m) higher than the great flood of 1874. Manawatu River had a flood of a comparable size to that of 1902.
Flooding
at
Moutoa
The damage was severe in Moutoa.
The district was underwater.
There were hundreds of cattle, sheep and horses lost.
The damage cost was estimated at several thousands of pounds.
Flooding
at
Oroua River
Oroua River was bank high.
Wellington
Flooding
at
Wellington
There was severe flooding on the 24th which affected over 20,000 hectares.
It was thought to have been the biggest flood in Wairarapa since European settlement.
Lake Wairarapa reached a level 1.5 m above any previous record.
Flooding
at
Ruamahanga River
Ruamahanga River had a peak flow of 2830 cumecs.
The return period of flow into Lake Wairarapa was over 100 years.
References
- Cowie, C.A; Attwood, A.K.(1957) FLOODS in NEW ZEALAND 1920 -53, The Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand 239p.
- Hydrology Annual No.3 1955 Soil Conservation and River Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand
- Major weather events in New Zealand, FLOODS and HIGH RAINFALL, Floods to 30 Sep 2005
- NZ Met Service. (2008). Meteorology of Extreme Rainfalls in New Zealand (Mark Pascoe, Ed.).
- Headline: THE FLOOD
- paperspast.natlib.govt.nz, The Manawatu Herald, Friday March 26, 1880.
- Saunders, W.(2000) Planning and Resources, Hazard and Emergency Management Section, WAIRARAPA DIVISION, Wairarapa Storm Events 1880 - 1998, Technical Report No. 00/17
- Headline: Heavy Floods Between Oroua Bridge And Palmerston.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 25 March 1880.
March 1880 Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington Flooding
(
1880-03-23
)
There was severe flooding in the Manawatu River and in the Wairarapa area. A three years old girl drowned after the Manawatu River overflowed its banks.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Flooding
at
Manawatu-Wanganui
There was a great flood in the Manawatu River on the 23rd and 24th.
The Manawatu River overflowed near Karere and a three year old girl was drowned when a vehicle capsized and she was washed away by the current.
All the settlers along the line sustained heavy losses.
One farmer lost 586 sheep and another lost 80 cattle.
Maori lost a great deal of sheep, pigs and potatoes.
Flooding
at
Foxton
Flooding was the heaviest to date.
Stock losses were cattle and poultry.
A house was seen rolling down the river. The owner lost almost everything with an estimated personal damage cost of £150 ($22,400 2009 dollars).
Flooding
at
Manawatu River
There were high flood levels through the Manawatu Gorge.
The peak level at the upper gorge bridge was 250.6 ft (76.4 m).
The peak discharge of the Manawatu River was 160,000 cusecs (4531 cumecs).
The flood was the highest known for many years, with the water rising a foot (0.30 m) higher than the great flood of 1874. Manawatu River had a flood of a comparable size to that of 1902.
Flooding
at
Moutoa
The damage was severe in Moutoa.
The district was underwater.
There were hundreds of cattle, sheep and horses lost.
The damage cost was estimated at several thousands of pounds.
Flooding
at
Oroua River
Oroua River was bank high.
Wellington
Flooding
at
Wellington
There was severe flooding on the 24th which affected over 20,000 hectares.
It was thought to have been the biggest flood in Wairarapa since European settlement.
Lake Wairarapa reached a level 1.5 m above any previous record.
Flooding
at
Ruamahanga River
Ruamahanga River had a peak flow of 2830 cumecs.
The return period of flow into Lake Wairarapa was over 100 years.
References
- Cowie, C.A; Attwood, A.K.(1957) FLOODS in NEW ZEALAND 1920 -53, The Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand 239p.
- Hydrology Annual No.3 1955 Soil Conservation and River Control Council, Wellington, New Zealand
- Major weather events in New Zealand, FLOODS and HIGH RAINFALL, Floods to 30 Sep 2005
- NZ Met Service. (2008). Meteorology of Extreme Rainfalls in New Zealand (Mark Pascoe, Ed.).
- Headline: THE FLOOD
- paperspast.natlib.govt.nz, The Manawatu Herald, Friday March 26, 1880.
- Saunders, W.(2000) Planning and Resources, Hazard and Emergency Management Section, WAIRARAPA DIVISION, Wairarapa Storm Events 1880 - 1998, Technical Report No. 00/17
- Headline: Heavy Floods Between Oroua Bridge And Palmerston.
- The Wanganui Chronicle, 25 March 1880.