NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
March 2003 Northland Flooding
(
2003-03-27
)
Heavy rain brought flooding to parts of Northland. People were evacuated in Kaitaia. One man was killed after being electrocuted by a fallen powerline and another man got hypothermia after he was swept away by flood waters.
Northland
Multi Hazard
at
Northland
Duration: 2 days - From the 27th to the 28th of March.
Widespread regional flooding occurred as a result of larger scale weather systems.
More than $250,000 ($295,000 2008 dollars) of damage was done to roads.
Heavy Rain
Heavy rainfall was experienced in Northland on the 27th.
Northern areas of Northland received about 80-100 mm (8.0-10.0 cm) of rain in the seven hours from 9am to 4am on the 27th
Flooding
Surface flooding occurred in parts of Northland.
Some roads were closed on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Cable Bay
Several houses on Stratford Drive were inundated.
A man had to be rescued from his home after he became stranded by the flood waters from an adjacent river at about 12:30pm.
The water in the house was waist-deep, or 1 m deep.
The flood waters damaged picket fences and heavy garden ornaments.
Landslide
State Highway 10 was reduced to one lane because of a slip at Cable Bay.
A house verandah was ripped away in a landslip.
Flooding
at
Kaeo
Kaeo was under water at about 3:30pm on the 27th after the Kaeo River overflowed.
There was a lot of surface flooding in Kaeo. Flood waters covered the main road through the town.
Kaeo schools closed early on the 27th so bus pupils could get home.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaikohe
Kaikohe recorded 126 mm (12.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Kaikohe recorded 100 mm (10.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 28th.
Flooding
at
Kaingaroa
Kaingaroa schools closed early on the 27th so bus pupils could get home.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaitaia
Kaitaia recorded 151 mm (15.1 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Kaitaia recorded 166 mm (16.6 cm) of rain in the 38 hours from 12am on the 26th to 2pm on the 28th.
Flooding
Widespread flooding occurred in Kaitaia after the Awanui River overflowed on the afternoon of the 28th. Properties were flooded.
Roads were flooded.
At Kaitaia, about 60 people were evacauted from 26 homes on Rongopai Place and Bank Streeet on the 28th, after the Awanui River overflowed.
Heavy Rain
at
Kerikeri
Kerikeri Airport recorded 116 mm (11.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Mangamuka Bridge
At Mangamuka Bridge, a river burst its stopbanks early on the 28th, completey inundating about 35 ha (0.35 km^2) of an adjacent farm.
The river created a break about 300 m long in the stopbank.
A woman who had farmed in the area for at least 30 years said she had never seen equivalent flooding.
Landslide
at
Mangamuka Gorge Reserve
Large slips came down in the Mangamuka Gorge. The road was clear again on the afternoon of the 28th, but the damage could take up to three months to repair.
Heavy Rain
at
Mangonui
The Mangonui rain gauge overflowed, but residents estimated that more than 110 mm (11.0 cm) of rain fell in 3.5 hours on the 27th.
Flooding
People had to be rescued from homes in Mangonui.
Flooding
at
Matauri Bay
There was a lot of surface flooding on Matauri Bay Road.
Flooding
at
Oruaiti
A couple had to be rescued from their home on Sawyer Road, Oruaiti, after it was threatened by flood waters.
Flooding
at
Otaika
There were flood waters across Loop Road on the 28th.
Flooding
at
Parapara
Firefighters had to pump water out of a cowshed on a Parapara Rd farm.
Flooding
at
Peria
Peria schools closed early on the 27th so bus pupils could get home.
Heavy Rain
at
Taipa
Persistent, steady rain fell at Taipa on the 27th.
The Taipa area recorded 208 mm (20.8 cm) of rain in the 38 hours from 12am on the 26th to 2pm on the 28th.
Trees fell on the road north of Taipa.
Flooding
There was a lot of surface flooding in the Taipa area.
Taipa Area School closed at 12:30pm on the 27th due to flood waters. One bus could not reach the school, meaning some children had to board with teachers for the night. The flooding was the worst that staff could remember.
The flood waters were knee-deep at about 10am. Water half a metre (50 cm) deep flowed all round the school.
Two offices and a toilet block were flooded and leaks occurred around the school.
A Taipa dairy was flooded and water poured the conservatory of a house.
Taipa Marine and Automotive closed early on the 27th.
A man was treated for mild hyperthermia after he was swept away by flood waters on a Barballs Road farm early on the morning of the 28th.
Multi Hazard
at
Waiotu
A 34-year-old man was killed at about 9:45am on the 28th after being electrocuted by a fallen power line on a farm in Hukerenui Road, Waiotu.
Two cows on the same farm were killed after being electrocuted.
Heavy Rain
at
Whanagrei
Whangarei recorded 13 mm (11.3 cm) of rain in the 38 hours from 12am on the 2th to 2pm on the 28th.
Raw sewage spilt into an alleyway in central Whangarei on the 28th after heavy rain overloaded the sewerage system.
Flooding
There was surface flooding on Riverside Drive on the 28th.
References
- Gray, W. Overview of weather and coastal hazards in the Northland region, Part I: Weather hazards.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall, Floods to 30 Sept 2005.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 93, June 2003.
- Headline: Raging floods swamp Far North.
- The Northern Advocate, 28 March 2003.
- Headline: Torrent of work for firefighters.
- The Northern Advocate, 28 March 2003.
- Headline: Northland awash: Man dies, houses evacuated.
- The Northern Advocate, 29 March 2003.
- Headline: Storm pressures sewerage system.
- The Northern Advocate, 29 March 2003.
- Headline: North still busy clearing mess.
- The Northern Advocate, 31 March 2003.
March 2003 Northland Flooding
(
2003-03-27
)
Heavy rain brought flooding to parts of Northland. People were evacuated in Kaitaia. One man was killed after being electrocuted by a fallen powerline and another man got hypothermia after he was swept away by flood waters.
Northland
Multi Hazard
at
Northland
Duration: 2 days - From the 27th to the 28th of March.
Widespread regional flooding occurred as a result of larger scale weather systems.
More than $250,000 ($295,000 2008 dollars) of damage was done to roads.
Heavy Rain
Heavy rainfall was experienced in Northland on the 27th.
Northern areas of Northland received about 80-100 mm (8.0-10.0 cm) of rain in the seven hours from 9am to 4am on the 27th
Flooding
Surface flooding occurred in parts of Northland.
Some roads were closed on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Cable Bay
Several houses on Stratford Drive were inundated.
A man had to be rescued from his home after he became stranded by the flood waters from an adjacent river at about 12:30pm.
The water in the house was waist-deep, or 1 m deep.
The flood waters damaged picket fences and heavy garden ornaments.
Landslide
State Highway 10 was reduced to one lane because of a slip at Cable Bay.
A house verandah was ripped away in a landslip.
Flooding
at
Kaeo
Kaeo was under water at about 3:30pm on the 27th after the Kaeo River overflowed.
There was a lot of surface flooding in Kaeo. Flood waters covered the main road through the town.
Kaeo schools closed early on the 27th so bus pupils could get home.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaikohe
Kaikohe recorded 126 mm (12.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Kaikohe recorded 100 mm (10.0 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 28th.
Flooding
at
Kaingaroa
Kaingaroa schools closed early on the 27th so bus pupils could get home.
Heavy Rain
at
Kaitaia
Kaitaia recorded 151 mm (15.1 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Kaitaia recorded 166 mm (16.6 cm) of rain in the 38 hours from 12am on the 26th to 2pm on the 28th.
Flooding
Widespread flooding occurred in Kaitaia after the Awanui River overflowed on the afternoon of the 28th. Properties were flooded.
Roads were flooded.
At Kaitaia, about 60 people were evacauted from 26 homes on Rongopai Place and Bank Streeet on the 28th, after the Awanui River overflowed.
Heavy Rain
at
Kerikeri
Kerikeri Airport recorded 116 mm (11.6 cm) of rain in 24 hours on the 27th.
Flooding
at
Mangamuka Bridge
At Mangamuka Bridge, a river burst its stopbanks early on the 28th, completey inundating about 35 ha (0.35 km^2) of an adjacent farm.
The river created a break about 300 m long in the stopbank.
A woman who had farmed in the area for at least 30 years said she had never seen equivalent flooding.
Landslide
at
Mangamuka Gorge Reserve
Large slips came down in the Mangamuka Gorge. The road was clear again on the afternoon of the 28th, but the damage could take up to three months to repair.
Heavy Rain
at
Mangonui
The Mangonui rain gauge overflowed, but residents estimated that more than 110 mm (11.0 cm) of rain fell in 3.5 hours on the 27th.
Flooding
People had to be rescued from homes in Mangonui.
Flooding
at
Matauri Bay
There was a lot of surface flooding on Matauri Bay Road.
Flooding
at
Oruaiti
A couple had to be rescued from their home on Sawyer Road, Oruaiti, after it was threatened by flood waters.
Flooding
at
Otaika
There were flood waters across Loop Road on the 28th.
Flooding
at
Parapara
Firefighters had to pump water out of a cowshed on a Parapara Rd farm.
Flooding
at
Peria
Peria schools closed early on the 27th so bus pupils could get home.
Heavy Rain
at
Taipa
Persistent, steady rain fell at Taipa on the 27th.
The Taipa area recorded 208 mm (20.8 cm) of rain in the 38 hours from 12am on the 26th to 2pm on the 28th.
Trees fell on the road north of Taipa.
Flooding
There was a lot of surface flooding in the Taipa area.
Taipa Area School closed at 12:30pm on the 27th due to flood waters. One bus could not reach the school, meaning some children had to board with teachers for the night. The flooding was the worst that staff could remember.
The flood waters were knee-deep at about 10am. Water half a metre (50 cm) deep flowed all round the school.
Two offices and a toilet block were flooded and leaks occurred around the school.
A Taipa dairy was flooded and water poured the conservatory of a house.
Taipa Marine and Automotive closed early on the 27th.
A man was treated for mild hyperthermia after he was swept away by flood waters on a Barballs Road farm early on the morning of the 28th.
Multi Hazard
at
Waiotu
A 34-year-old man was killed at about 9:45am on the 28th after being electrocuted by a fallen power line on a farm in Hukerenui Road, Waiotu.
Two cows on the same farm were killed after being electrocuted.
Heavy Rain
at
Whanagrei
Whangarei recorded 13 mm (11.3 cm) of rain in the 38 hours from 12am on the 2th to 2pm on the 28th.
Raw sewage spilt into an alleyway in central Whangarei on the 28th after heavy rain overloaded the sewerage system.
Flooding
There was surface flooding on Riverside Drive on the 28th.
References
- Gray, W. Overview of weather and coastal hazards in the Northland region, Part I: Weather hazards.
- Major weather events in New Zealand, Floods and High Rainfall, Floods to 30 Sept 2005.
- Meteorological Society of New Zealand (Inc.) Newsletter 93, June 2003.
- Headline: Raging floods swamp Far North.
- The Northern Advocate, 28 March 2003.
- Headline: Torrent of work for firefighters.
- The Northern Advocate, 28 March 2003.
- Headline: Northland awash: Man dies, houses evacuated.
- The Northern Advocate, 29 March 2003.
- Headline: Storm pressures sewerage system.
- The Northern Advocate, 29 March 2003.
- Headline: North still busy clearing mess.
- The Northern Advocate, 31 March 2003.