A large portion of the country near Opotiki was flooded.

A heavy loss of stock was feared. A number of animals were seen floating beneath the Waioeka bridge.

Heavy flooding occurred in the Opotiki district on the evening of the 14th. Water overflowed the stopbanks of the Waioeka River, flooding most of the residential and business area.

The water reached a depth of about 2 ft (61 cm) in the low portion of the main street.

The Otara River was in heavy flood but did not overflow its banks.

There were major floods in many areas from the 13th, particularly in the Waipaoa catchment. The floods spread practically over all the flats along the main and tributary streams of the Waipaoa River, including the Poverty Bay flats. The main body of floodwaters receded during the early hours of the 15th, although vast tracts of land were still covered.

The flood was said to be the heaviest since Poverty Bay settlement began, with the largest peak flow and probably also the largest area of land inundated. It is still regarded as the most destructive flood in Poverty Bay history.

Damage was widespread and serious, both to private and public property. There was widespread damage to fences and farm buildings. Houses were invaded by floodwaters.

Practically three-fifths of the flats were covered by floodwaters on the 14th. From Ormond down through the Waerengaahika and Makauri areas to the Makaraka cemetery, and across the flats to the neighbourhood of Muriwai, a great sheet of yellow floodwaters covered almost all of the land.

The total area inundated was 21,000 acres (84.98 km^2), flooded to varying depths.

The banks of the Waipaoa River overflowed everywhere along its course from Kaiteratahi to the sea.

A large number of settlers were forced to evacuate their homes.

There was severe damage to roads and railways in the district. The Gisborne-Moutuhora line suffered heavy silting and washing-out, particularly north of Te Karaka.

The worst affected of the flat lands were Makauri, Repongaere, Waerengaahika and Matawhero. Silt and water still covered large portions of these areas at midday on the 15th.

Widespread damage was done to roads and bridges in the Waikohu County.

Farm damage in the Manutuke, Ngatapa, Patutahi, The Willows, Ormond, Waerengaahika, Makauri and Bushmere districts: 3000 chains (60.3 km) of fences were damaged and 900 chains (18.1 km) of drains were silted up.

Crop damage in the Manutuke, Ngatapa, Patutahi, The Willows, Ormond, Waerengaahika, Makauri and Bushmere districts: 2252 acres (9.11 km^2) of maize was considered damaged. Every crop of maize was affected.

Stock losses in the Manutuke, Ngatapa, Patutahi, The Willows, Ormond, Waerengaahika, Makauri and Bushmere districts: 10,000 head of sheep were lost, 157 head of catle were lost, 300 head of pigs were lost and 2000 poulty were lost.

Farm damage in the Waikohu and Cook Counties: 3000 chains (60.3 km) of fences were damaged (excluding Waikohu) and 1150 chains (23.1 km) of drains were silted up (250 chains or 5.03 km in the Waikohu County).

Crop damage in the Waikohu and Cook Counties: 2464 acres (9.97 km^2) of maize was considered to be damaged (212 acres or 0.86 km^2 in the Waikohu County) and 18 acres (0.07 km^2) of pumpkins were lost in the Waikohu County. The estimated loss of maize in the Waikohu County, not including losses in production, was 65%, and in the Cook County it was 45%.

Stock damage in the Waikohu and Cook Counties: 11,336 sheep were lost (1,336 in the Waikohu County), 222 cattle were lost (65 in the Waikohu County), 365 pigs were lost (65 in the Waikohu County) and 2272 poultry were lost (272 in the Waikohu County).

Over 16,000 stock were lost, valued at many thousands of pounds. A total of 15,207 sheep were lost. Dead carcases of sheep and cattle hung from fence-lines or lay bloated in paddocks and thousands of sheep and cattle were swept seawards. Pigs, horses and fowl were also lost. A mass burial site was created in the sand dunes at Awapuni due to the freezing works being overtaxed. The commercial poultry flocks of Gisborne were cut by 25-30% as a result of the floods.

The total damage due to the floods was £336,356 ($21,757,080 2008 dollars).

The monetary value of the agricultural losses was £165,000 ($10,672,970 2008 dollars).

The damage to county roads was £47,160 ($3,050,530 2008 dollars) and damage to state highways was £13,040 ($843,490 2008 dollars) - a total of £60,200 ($3,894,020 2008 dollars).

The Cook County Council had losses of road metal from the flood estimated at £500 ($32,340 2008 dollars).

A mob of 550 hoggets were lost from the Bushmere paddocks.

Parts of the borough of Gisborne were flooded, when the Taruheru and Waikanae Rivers overflowed their banks in dozens of places during the night of the 13th.

All roads within a short radius of Gisborne were blocked on the morning of the 14th by the floodwaters of the Waipaoa River catchment area. A number of cars throughout the district were caught in the surging water and some had to be abandoned.

The floodwater swept to within inches of several riverside homes. The houses which bore the brunt of the flooding were those facing onto Fitzherbert St and Ormond Rd and backing onto the river. The grounds of one home and the small reserve beside it were almost submerged.

The Waimata River brought down debris and large logs, most of which fell foul of the William Pettie bridge. A few small pleasure boats left on the banks were swept away, as well as several small jetties and numerous trees.

The Taruheru River invaded the Botanical Gardens, leaving most of the trees standing in lakes. The ground floors of the rowing club were evacuated on the night of the 13th when water came in up to the windows.

The flow of the Taruheru River had reached its full strength by 5pm on the 14th.

Kaiti Creek, which runs from Crawford Rd, also rose during the night.

Most of the permanent campers at Waikanae Beach had their tents affected by the strong southerly wind coming in off the sea on the night of the 13th. Several tents were blown down.

Heavy rain on the 13th caused minor flooding on Darton Field aerodrome and it was declared unserviceable. No flights could get into Gisborne on the afternoon of the 13th. On the 14th the aerodrome was part of the huge lake of floodwaters. Early in the afternoon water completely covered the hangars. Silt was deposited over a considerable portion of the airport, resulting in it being closed to normal traffic for several months.

There was still about 4 ft (1.2 m) of water at the aerodrome on the morning of the 15th.

There was 3-4 in (7.6-10.2 cm) of silt deposited over Darton Field.

Two aircraft at Darton Field were extensively damaged by water and silt after being marooned in a hangar in nearly 6 ft (1.8 m) of water on the 14th. Floodwater also seeped into approximately 1000 gallons of petrol rendering it useless.

A railway bridge by the aerodrome was scoured for about 20 ft (6.1 m), as was the Kaiti bridge by the turntable.

The meteorological plot at Darton Field was flooded out on the 14th.

The Waikanae Stream was filled to capacity on the 14th and rose almost to the level of the bridges which crossed it at Stanley Rd, Grey St and Bright St.

The flooding of the Waikanae Creek caused damage to all small bridges crossing it. The Stanley Rd bridge had minor damage as did the Grey St bridge. The Peel St bridge had one of the approaches scoured out. The Balance St footbridge suffered damage to the whole superstructure. Piles under the Derby St pedestrian and cycle bridge were damaged. The William Pettie bridge crossing the Waimana River was slightly damaged.

The Peel St bridge leading to the railway station was completely closed on the 15th and the Balance St footbridge was also entirely closed.

One and possibly three major breaks occurred in the borough water supply pipeline from Waingake to Gisborne on the 14th. Some houses were without water until the night of the 17th and houses on the higher levels of town remained without water on the 18th due to the pressure being too low.

Over 100 residents of Victoria Township (Awapuni) accepted the opportunity of evacuation on the evening of the 14th. They were sheltered at the Salvation Army Citadel or billeted out. Residents of the transit camp at the Park racecourse were also evacuated earlier when the camp was threatened with inundation.

Two of three bridges connecting Victoria Township (Awapuni) with the town area were submerged under racing floodwaters and the third was threatened on the evening of the 14th. Floodwaters had broken down through Awapuni Rd and lapped up to the houses that lined one side of the street.

Scouring along the permanent way occurred between Gisborne railway station and Stanley Rd and between te aerodome and Matawhero railway station.

The road surface at the Hangaroa Bluffs was greasy on the 13th and Kent's crossing was too high for small cars to ford.

The Hangaroa River was as high as it had ever been. A great quantity of timber was carried down to the lower levels.

The Makaraka racecourse was covered with water, with only the large buildings on the southern edge showing on the 14th.

In a woolshed overlooking the Taruheru River just north of Makaraka, the floodwater reached a level 5 ft (1.5 m) higher than in the 1910 flood. After the flood, the vicinity of the homestead was piled with carcases, timber and driftwood to a height level with the telephone wires.

Animals were caught up in fences throughout the Makauri district. 500 sheep were reported to have been swept away from a Makauri property. 400 cattle from the same district were said to have been carried off and another Makauri farmer lost 1300 sheep. A poultry farmer lost 500-600 birds and another producer in the area lost 300.

Mr Mills, a Makauri farmer on Tuckers Rd had water 1 ft (30.5 cm) deep throughout his house on the morning of the 14th.

The level of water was 2 ft (61 cm) higher than the previous record flood within the 40-odd years Mr Mills had lived there.

The rising floodwaters started to give farmers in Makauri serious concern from about 8:30am on the 14th.

Flood conditions in the King's Rd area and down through Makauri to Makaraka were worse than in the major flood of 1910, which set some of the highest food-marks of the past.

The main road from Manutuke to Muriwai was covered with water for some distance.

The low-level Maraetaha No. 1 bridge was under water on the 14th.

The Motu River ran high and fast, sweeping three access bridges away at the height of the flooding. Two residences were cut off from the township.

Some stock losses were reported.

14 men were isolated at the Matawhero railway station for about 16 hours from midday on the 14th. Water was almost up to the top of the platform. Four women and 10 children were also marooned in railway houses opposite.

One commercial poultry keeper lost all but 2 of his 900 birds.

Part of a valuable dairy herd at Motu was lost.

The main road was blocked by surface water in the Muriwai area on the 14th.

Flooding at Ngatapa was the worst that anyone in the neighbourhood could remember, but the effects were minimised by the cuts made below the settlement.

Some houses were lapped by water and silting was bad in some paddocks. Fences on one property were broken and lost.

Crops in the valley below the settlement suffered.

The Ngatapa road was under water for a time but did not suffer severe scouring.

On the 14th, floodwaters were raging over the section of the Patutahi road past the Matawhero bridge turn-off.

All traffic beyond Patutahi was suspended at the lavenham bridges, just past the township, effectively cutting off communication with Repongaere and Waitui.

On the Tokomaru-Mata highway the floods caused scouring at the log bar in the Pauariki Stream.

Settlers in the Pehiri-Tahunga area were isolated for three days, from the 14th to the 16th, during the height of the flood due to the flooding of the Waikura River. The river covered fences.

The Waikura River was from 18-20 ft (5.5-6.1 m) above its normal level.

A suspension bridge giving access to a property suffered severe damage and only the cables were saved. At the height of the flood the bridge decking was covered by a rushing torrent, carrying heavy timber and other debris.

The Oweka Stream, between Cape Runaway and Hicks Bay, was in flood.

A couple were marooned at their house in Puha and spent the night of the 13th on their roof before being rescued.

McKay's bridge at Puha was under water on the 14th.

A poultry producer in Repongaere lost 300-400 birds.

The Waiapu River was running a banker on the 14th, while the Mangaoporo, a few miles further on, showed practically no signs of floodwater.

The road between Waterfall Hill and Tahunga was severely damaged by floodwaters.

At Te Karaka, all flood marks of recent years were washed out by the level of the Waipaoa River.

Serious damage was done to the Rangatira suspension bridge. It was afloat at 9:30am on the 14th, the cables still holding but the bridge badly damaged.

The Kanakanaia steel bridge was reported to have been washed out at the approaches.

The flood gauge at the Kanakanaia bridge went right out of sight, with the flood in the Waipaoa River peaking at least 5 ft (1.5 m) above the peak height of the 1944 flood, which was 7.9 m. It was calclulated that the Waipaoa was 31 ft (9.4 m) above normal.

At 8:30am on the 14th, when the flood reached its peak, the flow of the Waiapaoa at Kanakanaia bridge had climbed to 127,500 cubic feet per second (3610 cumecs).

The peak discharge of the Waipaoa River at the Kanakanaia Bridge was 140,000 cusecs (3964 cumecs), with a total discharge of 315,500 acres-feet (catchment area 606 square miles).

The gauge height at the time of the peak flow was 31 ft 9 in (9.7 m).

It was the worst flood in Te Karaka in memory. All the rivers overflowed their banks and came right into the township. One house was submerged to such an extent that only the roof was showing.

Water was down the main street and water from the Waipaoa River was right across the road at the Post Office on the morning of the 14th.

Homes were evacuated by a number of Te Karaka residents.

A man was rescued by raft from the roof of his house on the morning of the 14th.

The flood level from the Waihora River at Mr Charteris' house was 5 ft (1.5 m) lower than that of 1944, despite a 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m) higher outfall level at the Waipaoa River confluence.

Floodwaters swirled around homes in the vicinity of the Waerengaahika Hotel on the 14th. Some families were marooned throughout the day and night.

At the height of the flood water was lapping through the windows of one house. At another house near the railway line, water reached up to the waists of the occupants when they were sitting on chairs on top of the table.

Three men were attempting to rescue a marooned family in a boat at around 12:30pm on the 14th when it capsized and they were swept down the river. One man was rescued and had to be resuscitated. The other two ended up stranded in two willow trees for over five hours with 8 ft (2.4 m) of water swirling below them.

In the Waikohu area, streams converging from the Whakarau and Poututu valleys and the Rakauroa and Otoko catchment areas were higher than they had been in floods for at least the last 68 years.

On the Waikohu station there had been some brich logs on a flat that was feet above the level of previous floods for 70-odd years. On the 14th that flat was covered and further birch logs were deposited there.

Fences were flattened on the lower portions of Waihuka station.

Four valuable two-year-old Hereford bulls were lost.

The Waipaoa River broke its banks at points along the lower reaches, in the vicinity of Waerengaahika, Patutahi, Matawhero, Manutuke and The Willows settlement. It inundated a considerable portion of the flats behind Gisborne. Stormwater also covered a large area in the parts of the flats which were not flooded by the Waipaoa River.

People living in riverside properties on the flats had to evacuate their homes.

In the middle reaches of the river, where the rise in level was most notable, two families were marooned in their houses and had to be rescued from their rooftops.

All the streams were running at full capacity. The Waipaoa River was running bank-high near Whatatutu on the morning of the 13th and the Managatu River was also very high.

A timber bridge on the Mangamaia Rd was reported to have been washed away.

A young man (21 years old) drowned at Whatatutu when trying to cross the flooded Mangapapa Stream on Maungahaumi station at about 11am on the 14th.

Two houses at the Taihanuti pa were swept away by the flood and another was so badly damaged as to be completely uninhabitable. The pa lost practically all the food stored for the winter.

The flood was the worst recorded in the area since 1912.

In the area of The Willows, a mob of about 850 sheep were lost and another 587 hoggets were thought to have been lost - a total of 1437.

There was surface water on the Wairoa road south of Nuhaka on the 14th. Several roads were swept away and others were severely damaged.

Extensive flooding occurred on the Wairoa River from Frasertown downstream and all the flats had a good deposit of silt.

Stock losses were reported to be heavy.

Residents on a portion of the Ardkeen block were still marooned on the night of the 14th, with the road flooded in two parts, completely cutting off farmers in between.

Many residents were without power and it could not be restored until the road was cleared of water.

A bus had to be abandoned at Ardkeen due to rapidly rising water. Twenty minutes after stopping the bus was under water and mail, luggage and other freight could not be rescued.

At Waikaretaheke bridge, which gives access to Ruapapa, the water rose over 38 ft (11.6 m), with the water level 3 ft (91 cm) from the decking of the bridge.

The approaches of the Waikaretaheke bridge were scoured.

The Awamate block was marooned for the first time in its history. Due to it being the chief supplier of milk for the borough, milk was in short supply on the 15th.

Many acres were ruined by the flood. A large tract of land also disappeard into the river on the Wairoa side of the settlement.

Beaches in the Cape Kidnappers locality were piled with debris resulting from heavy flooding on the Gisborne coast.

At the Frasertown bridge, the Wairoa River was 18 in (45.7 cm) from the decking on the 14th, having risen to a height of 30-40 ft (9.1-12.2 m) above normal.

The Waiau River had a peak flow of 123,850 cusecs (3507 cumecs) at 20 chains (402 m) above the pumping station (catchment area 545 sq miles).

The Wairoa River had a peak discharge of 282,400 cusecs (7997 cumecs) above Frasertown.

The Frasertown bridge withstood a huge strain and remained intact but showed a bulge of at least 10 ft (3.0 m) on one side.

At Hopuruahine a two-roomed fishing lodge had disappeared with all its contents.

The Mangaruhe swing bridge was carried away early on the afternoon of the 14th.

The Hangaroa road was blocked in the vicinity of Marumaru, where water reached the top rail of the Waitohora Creek bridge.

The Wairoa River reached a height of 16 ft (4.9 m) above normal in the Marumaru area.

Hall's bridge at Matai was badly damage, with more than half the decking gone.

The Wairoa River had a peak discharge of 230,300 cusecs (6521 cumecs) 30 chains (600 m) below Opoiti Bridge.

The road to Ruakituri was still closed on the 17th.

In the two days up to the 13th, Lake Waikaremoana rose nearly 4 in (10.2 cm) to a level of 1989.3 ft (606.3 m) above sea level.

During the 48 hours to 9am on the 15th, Lake Waikaremoana rose 6.3 ft (1.9 m) to a level of 1995.6 ft (608.3 m) above sea level

Roads and farms in the direction of Waikaremoana presented a scene of desolation. The amount of erosion was terrific, with huge pieces of land having disappeared.

Acres of crops, maize and lucerne disappeared under silt.

The water reached a record height. For a considerable length, telephone wires some 14 ft (4.3 m) from the roadway were carrying strips of long grass, blackberry, light sticks and other debris.

A number of fishermen's cottages on the shores of the lake were demolished.

By 3:30pm on the 14th, the flood level of the Wairoa River had reached a record height, being less than 2 ft (61 cm) from overflowing on the lower portion of Marine Parade. The river continued rising and at about 5pm the waters reached Marine Parade and penetrated a number of business premises. The reserves in the vicinity of the traffic bridge were also flooded. The river rose so rapidly that the members of the rowing club had to swim into the shed to rescue their boats.

At 5pm on the 14th the traffic bridge had to be closed, and was reopened early the next morning. When it was closed the surge was passing over the traffic way. Roads both in and out of Wairoa were blocked by floodwaters on the 14th and the morning of the 15th.

All sporting fixtures on the 15th were cancelled.

During the afternoon of the 14th huge logs, trees, fencing, drowned stock, hay stacks and other debris continuously battered the main bridge.

At the height of the flood parts of the Wairoa Parade were covered to a depth of up to 12 in (30.5 cm).

There was a deposit of at least 3 ft (91 cm) of silt on the basketball court. The camping grounds and children's playground were also covered in silt.

The No. 2 Harbour Board shed on the town wharf suffered severely. Half the building was left hanging into the river. Floodwaters also entered the No. 1 shed.

The Wairoa A and P Society's ground was flooded to a considerable depth.

Between 40 and 50 sheep and lambs on the A and P grounds were drowned.

Floodwaters did considerable damage to roads in the North Clyde locality.

At North Clyde a number of residents has to evacuate their homes due to the encroachment of water. The area around the memorial hall at Takitimu was also evacuated.

The water reached to the windowsills of some homes in North Clyde.

Wairoa was without water for more than a week. There was a shortage of water in the Wairoa area due to the pumping station being flooded. During the flood the water rose 35 ft (10.7 m) to the top platform of the pumping tower and then flowed through to the pumps at the bottom.

The Wairoa River had a peak flow of 404,000 cusecs (11,440 cumecs) at the Wairoa Town Bridge (catchment area 1415 sq miles). This was the highest record of discharge in New Zealand.

Water entered buildings to a depth of 3 ft (91 cm).