NZ Historic Weather Events Catalogue
May 1971 Hawke's Bay Storm
(
1971-05-03
)
23 years
There were road and rail closures around Hawke's Bay due to flooding and slips. Flood damage in Wairoa alone amounted to over $3 million.
Hawke's Bay
Flooding
at
Hawke's Bay
Duration: 2 days - There was heavy rain and flooding in central Hawke's Bay on the 3rd and 4th May 1971.
Low-lying farming districts were flooded and in some townships surface water was a problem.
Tutira, Puketapu, Maraetotara, Ongaonga, Mohaka, Raupunga, Tareha and Maru-Maru schools were closed.
The railway line from Gisborne to Napier was closed.
Landslide
The Napier-Taihape road was closed by slips.
Multi Hazard
In the Hawke's Bay county 12 roads were closed. Many back-country roads were blocked by floods or slips.
Flooding
at
Elsthorpe
Kairakau Beach Road was blocked by water 2 ft (0.61 m) deep.
Heavy Rain
at
Hastings
Hastings recorded 3.05 in (7.75 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
The surface flooding in some Hastings areas was the worst seen in six years.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Haumoana
Sea water broke through a shingle wall at Haumoana and flooded the motorcamp and low-lying parts of the Haumoana township.
The motorcamp was flooded to a depth of 3 ft (0.91 m).
Water entered caravans, cabins and two cars. The cars were flooded to a depth of 3 ft (0.91 m).
Two houses which were surrounded by water were evacuated. Families from some low-lying homes were also evacuated.
Flooding
at
Kotemaori
An eight-truck goods train was derailed at 9pm on the 3rd about two and a half miles north of Kotemaori. A chain and a half (30 m) of track was washed out and the railway line had to be rebuilt.
Flooding
at
Maraetotara Lodge
Maraetotara stream became a raging torrent. It broke its banks and about 100 acres (40.5 ha) of farm flats were under water.
Flooding
at
Napier
There was surface flooding in Napier.
Flooding
at
Omakere
Omakere school was closed because the school bridge on the Pourere Road was washed out.
Flooding
at
Ongaonga
The Waipukurau-Ongaonga road and Pettit's Valley Road was closed. SH50 near the Ongaonga bridge was closed because of floodwaters.
Landslide
The Lookout Road was closed because of slips.
Flooding
at
Patangata
In the Patangata county three roads were closed by flooding.
Flooding
at
Tukituki River
Tukituki River was flowing bank to bank under Black Bridge.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wairoa
Town and district were lashed by a southerly gale.
Heavy Rain
Wairoa recorded nearly 6 in (15.24 cm) of rain.
Flooding
A Civil Defence emergency was declared at 6:15am on the 4th in Wairoa due to flooding.
Wairoa River rose to its highest level since 1948.
Several families in the area were moved out.
Wairoa River rose 15 ft (4.57 m) above normal at 2am on the 4th.
The highways to Waikaremoana and Tiniroto were blocked by floodwaters and many country roads were closed.
All schools in the district were closed for the day.
Flood damage was estimated at $250,000 ($3,122,500 2010 dollars).
Wairoa River left sludge and silt several feet high on pastures and borough reserves. Debris was piled high along the river banks.
One mile north of the Wairoa railway station, the bridge was undermined.
Stock losses were heavy.
Maize crops were badly damaged.
Landslide
The Rotorua highway via Lake Waikaremoana was blocked by a landslide.
The inland route to Gisborne was blocked by slips.
Multi Hazard
The railway line to the north and south of Wairoa was closed by slips and washouts.
The roads south of Wairoa were closed by slips and washouts.
Flooding
at
Waipukurau
Arlington Road in Waipukurau county was closed by surface water.
References
- Civil Defence Declarations since 1 January 1963
- Major weather events in New Zealand, FLOODS and HIGH RAINFALL, Floods to 30 Sep 2005
- Headline: Central HB farms and roads hit.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 4 May 1971.
- Headline: Emergency alert as Wairoa River rises.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 4 May 1971.
- Headline: Storm holes Haumoana sea wall; camp flooded.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 4 May 1971.
- Headline: Train derailed, road links cut by rain.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 4 May 1971.
- Headline: Railway track has to be rebuilt.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 5 May 1971.
- Headline: Wairoa flood damage may reach $250,000.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 5 May 1971.
May 1971 Hawke's Bay Storm
(
1971-05-03
)
23 years
There were road and rail closures around Hawke's Bay due to flooding and slips. Flood damage in Wairoa alone amounted to over $3 million.
Hawke's Bay
Flooding
at
Hawke's Bay
Duration: 2 days - There was heavy rain and flooding in central Hawke's Bay on the 3rd and 4th May 1971.
Low-lying farming districts were flooded and in some townships surface water was a problem.
Tutira, Puketapu, Maraetotara, Ongaonga, Mohaka, Raupunga, Tareha and Maru-Maru schools were closed.
The railway line from Gisborne to Napier was closed.
Landslide
The Napier-Taihape road was closed by slips.
Multi Hazard
In the Hawke's Bay county 12 roads were closed. Many back-country roads were blocked by floods or slips.
Flooding
at
Elsthorpe
Kairakau Beach Road was blocked by water 2 ft (0.61 m) deep.
Heavy Rain
at
Hastings
Hastings recorded 3.05 in (7.75 cm) of rain in 24 hours.
Flooding
The surface flooding in some Hastings areas was the worst seen in six years.
Maritime / Coastal
at
Haumoana
Sea water broke through a shingle wall at Haumoana and flooded the motorcamp and low-lying parts of the Haumoana township.
The motorcamp was flooded to a depth of 3 ft (0.91 m).
Water entered caravans, cabins and two cars. The cars were flooded to a depth of 3 ft (0.91 m).
Two houses which were surrounded by water were evacuated. Families from some low-lying homes were also evacuated.
Flooding
at
Kotemaori
An eight-truck goods train was derailed at 9pm on the 3rd about two and a half miles north of Kotemaori. A chain and a half (30 m) of track was washed out and the railway line had to be rebuilt.
Flooding
at
Maraetotara Lodge
Maraetotara stream became a raging torrent. It broke its banks and about 100 acres (40.5 ha) of farm flats were under water.
Flooding
at
Napier
There was surface flooding in Napier.
Flooding
at
Omakere
Omakere school was closed because the school bridge on the Pourere Road was washed out.
Flooding
at
Ongaonga
The Waipukurau-Ongaonga road and Pettit's Valley Road was closed. SH50 near the Ongaonga bridge was closed because of floodwaters.
Landslide
The Lookout Road was closed because of slips.
Flooding
at
Patangata
In the Patangata county three roads were closed by flooding.
Flooding
at
Tukituki River
Tukituki River was flowing bank to bank under Black Bridge.
High Wind / Gust
at
Wairoa
Town and district were lashed by a southerly gale.
Heavy Rain
Wairoa recorded nearly 6 in (15.24 cm) of rain.
Flooding
A Civil Defence emergency was declared at 6:15am on the 4th in Wairoa due to flooding.
Wairoa River rose to its highest level since 1948.
Several families in the area were moved out.
Wairoa River rose 15 ft (4.57 m) above normal at 2am on the 4th.
The highways to Waikaremoana and Tiniroto were blocked by floodwaters and many country roads were closed.
All schools in the district were closed for the day.
Flood damage was estimated at $250,000 ($3,122,500 2010 dollars).
Wairoa River left sludge and silt several feet high on pastures and borough reserves. Debris was piled high along the river banks.
One mile north of the Wairoa railway station, the bridge was undermined.
Stock losses were heavy.
Maize crops were badly damaged.
Landslide
The Rotorua highway via Lake Waikaremoana was blocked by a landslide.
The inland route to Gisborne was blocked by slips.
Multi Hazard
The railway line to the north and south of Wairoa was closed by slips and washouts.
The roads south of Wairoa were closed by slips and washouts.
Flooding
at
Waipukurau
Arlington Road in Waipukurau county was closed by surface water.
References
- Civil Defence Declarations since 1 January 1963
- Major weather events in New Zealand, FLOODS and HIGH RAINFALL, Floods to 30 Sep 2005
- Headline: Central HB farms and roads hit.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 4 May 1971.
- Headline: Emergency alert as Wairoa River rises.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 4 May 1971.
- Headline: Storm holes Haumoana sea wall; camp flooded.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 4 May 1971.
- Headline: Train derailed, road links cut by rain.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 4 May 1971.
- Headline: Railway track has to be rebuilt.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 5 May 1971.
- Headline: Wairoa flood damage may reach $250,000.
- The Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, 5 May 1971.