NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
March 1979 West Coast Flooding
(
1979-03-06
)
30 years
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared in the Franz Josef area due to heavy rain and flooding. Many roads were closed and bridges were swept away.
West Coast
Heavy Rain
at
South Westland
Duration: 3 days - From the 6th to the 8th of March.
A slow moving front was blamed for the torrential rain on the 6th and 7th.
Flooding
Water entered some buildings.
State Highway 6 to Haast was closed and floodwaters covered the highway to a depth of one metre, just north of Ross.
Between State Highway 6 and Paringa, there were washouts of several bridge approaches.
The Kokatahi-Kaniere Road was flooded.
Telephone communications to the south were disrupted.
Waitaha Valley Road was impassable.
There was slip and flood damage between Ross and Paringa.
Power and toll links were severed.
There were stock losses.
Flooding
at
Bullock Creek
15 m of the north approach was washed out.
Flooding
at
Fox Glacier
South of Lake Wahapo was without power.
Telephone communications were disrupted to the south.
Landslide
at
Mount Fox
There were major slips and slumping of the highway.
Heavy Rain
at
Franz Josef
Franz Josef recorded 20 in (50.8 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared temporarily in the Dochertys Creek area from the 7th until 9:10am on the 8th due to flooding.
Waiho River broke through its south bank and flooded the Waiho River flat.
24 people were evacuated from the area until the danger passed.
Homes, the hotel, and garages were flooded.
Trees and debris come down the hill.
This flooding was the worst in Dochertys and Gibs Creek in nearly 30 years.
100 m of road was damaged.
Heavy Rain
at
Harihari
Harihari recorded 240 mm (24.0 cm) of rain over 24 hours.
Flooding
at
Havelock Creek
The south approach was washed out.
Flooding
at
Hokitika
There was surface flooding in Hokitika.
The cutting of the State Highway to the south brought tourists to Hokitika.
Flooding
at
Manakaiaua River
15 m of approaches were washed out.
Landslide
From Manakaiaua River to Haast, there were atleast 12 slips.
Flooding
at
Totara River
There were stock losses in the lower reaches of the Totara River.
Flooding
at
Whataroa
There was a power break south of Whataroa.
Four inches (10.16 cm) of water went through the Whataroa Hotel.
20 chains (402 m) of the stopbank along the Whataroa River was washed out.
From Whataroa south of the Fox Glacier, consumers were without power.
References
- Ericksen, H.J. (1986). Creating Flood Disasters? Water and Soil Miscellaneous Publication Number 77.
- New Zealand Evacuations from 1 January 1886 to 1 January 2000
- Headline: Whataroa hotel Awash As Flood Hits South Westland.
- The Greymouth Evening Star, 7 March 1979.
- Headline: Major Slips To Be Moved For South Highway To Open Again.
- The Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1979.
March 1979 West Coast Flooding
(
1979-03-06
)
30 years
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared in the Franz Josef area due to heavy rain and flooding. Many roads were closed and bridges were swept away.
West Coast
Heavy Rain
at
South Westland
Duration: 3 days - From the 6th to the 8th of March.
A slow moving front was blamed for the torrential rain on the 6th and 7th.
Flooding
Water entered some buildings.
State Highway 6 to Haast was closed and floodwaters covered the highway to a depth of one metre, just north of Ross.
Between State Highway 6 and Paringa, there were washouts of several bridge approaches.
The Kokatahi-Kaniere Road was flooded.
Telephone communications to the south were disrupted.
Waitaha Valley Road was impassable.
There was slip and flood damage between Ross and Paringa.
Power and toll links were severed.
There were stock losses.
Flooding
at
Bullock Creek
15 m of the north approach was washed out.
Flooding
at
Fox Glacier
South of Lake Wahapo was without power.
Telephone communications were disrupted to the south.
Landslide
at
Mount Fox
There were major slips and slumping of the highway.
Heavy Rain
at
Franz Josef
Franz Josef recorded 20 in (50.8 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
A Civil Defence Emergency was declared temporarily in the Dochertys Creek area from the 7th until 9:10am on the 8th due to flooding.
Waiho River broke through its south bank and flooded the Waiho River flat.
24 people were evacuated from the area until the danger passed.
Homes, the hotel, and garages were flooded.
Trees and debris come down the hill.
This flooding was the worst in Dochertys and Gibs Creek in nearly 30 years.
100 m of road was damaged.
Heavy Rain
at
Harihari
Harihari recorded 240 mm (24.0 cm) of rain over 24 hours.
Flooding
at
Havelock Creek
The south approach was washed out.
Flooding
at
Hokitika
There was surface flooding in Hokitika.
The cutting of the State Highway to the south brought tourists to Hokitika.
Flooding
at
Manakaiaua River
15 m of approaches were washed out.
Landslide
From Manakaiaua River to Haast, there were atleast 12 slips.
Flooding
at
Totara River
There were stock losses in the lower reaches of the Totara River.
Flooding
at
Whataroa
There was a power break south of Whataroa.
Four inches (10.16 cm) of water went through the Whataroa Hotel.
20 chains (402 m) of the stopbank along the Whataroa River was washed out.
From Whataroa south of the Fox Glacier, consumers were without power.
References
- Ericksen, H.J. (1986). Creating Flood Disasters? Water and Soil Miscellaneous Publication Number 77.
- New Zealand Evacuations from 1 January 1886 to 1 January 2000
- Headline: Whataroa hotel Awash As Flood Hits South Westland.
- The Greymouth Evening Star, 7 March 1979.
- Headline: Major Slips To Be Moved For South Highway To Open Again.
- The Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1979.