There was extensive flooding in Otago, Southland, Canterbury and the West Coast.

Railway communication between Invercargill and Dunedin was cut off on the 27th by the floods. Through traffic to Dunedin was resumed on the 7th. Railway communication between Winton (Southland) and Kingston (Otago) was also stopped. There was considerable damage to the permanent way between Lowther and Kingston.

Mail between Duendin and Invercargill was interrupted for days.

There was a general rise in the rivers all over the country on the 11th.

Railway communication between Christchurch and Dunedin was cut off from the 8th. It was also cut off between Dunedin and Invercargill from the 12th.

Lake Taupo and the Waikato River reached levels previously unknown to the oldest Maori inhabitants.

The rivers were rising rapidly. At midnight on the 11th, the Ahaura and Grey rivers were unusually high, but were falling on the 12th.

All traffic was suspended. Passengers on Gilmer's coach and several wagoners were stuck there.

A portion of the Ahaura convent grounds was washed away.

There were heavy freshes in the river on the 11th.

All the Christchurch coaches were again delayed.

The rivers at Reefton were still in flood on the 29th.

A number of Supreme Court suitors and witnesses were held up in proceeding down country.

Vast volumes of water precipitated in South Canterbury rivers on the evening of the 25th.

The Waitari commenced to rise late on the 24th. By daylight on the 26th it was running almost bank to bank.

Northern rivers were in flood from the effects of the northwest gale melting the snow.

Telegraph lines were washed down by floods.

The snow floods in the Mackenzie country were higher than ever known since the district was discovered 20 years ago.

The Waimakariri, Rangitata and Rakaia rivers were again flooded on the 8th. The Waimakariri was said to be rising at an alarming rate.

Through communication was suspended on the north line.

A large number of sheep and cattle were drowned by the floods.

Flooding washed out the protective works at one end of the Arundel Bridge and threatened the railway.

A further flood occurred in the Ashburton River on the 10th through the snow melting in the mountains. It broke through its northern bank in two places, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the town, got into an old watercourse and found its way into the town. The flood was confined to West St by a channel being cut. The Station Master's house was completely surrounded and the occupants of several small places were flooded out.

The Hurunui River was in flood, with nearly a 3 ft (91 cm) rise in about half an hour at noon.

At Kaiapoi there was a very heavy flood in the rivers and they were rising fast.

Many parts of Kaiapoi were completely under water on the 30th.

On the morning of the 12th October, the Waimakariri River was higher than known for a long time.

At 10pm on the 11th the river was impassable on horseback. Half a mile (802 m) of the railway line was under water on the next morning.

The total quantitiy of land washed away from Kaiapoi was 250 acres (1.01 km^2). Many families were heavy losers.

The Pukako Creek (Pukaki River) rose 15 ft (4.6 m) and burst its banks, forming a wide river.

The bed of the river worked round the mooring and the anchor piles at the ferry, carrying them and two boats away.

Te Kapo Lake was so high on the 30th that Richmond house on the east side was submerged. Cowan's on the Peninsula suffered serious damage and had to be abandoned. The ferryman's boat was carrie away.

A stream of water 4 (1.2 m) deep ran through Cowan's woolshed.

The water was at least 12 ft (3.7 m) higher than ever known before.

The floods in the Ohau were very considerable.

The Opawa Accommodation House was likely to be washed away by the heavy flood in the Opawa River in October.

The South Rakaia Bridge was in a critical condition on the 26th.

There was a serious flood in the Rangitata River.

The southern approaches of the Rangitata Railway Bridge were injured, and two double sets of piers were carried away on the morning of the 26th. The Rangitata River broke out about 2 miles (3.2 km) above the township and came down on the line, undermining it in several places and leaving rails and sleepers hanging in mid air. At the north bridge the piles of one span were hanging loose and trains were unable to get over.

The river was rushing under the bridge at some 30-40 mph (48-64 km/hr).

The flood level peaked at 2ft 6 in (76 cm) below the cap of the railway bridge and approximately 2 ft (61 cm) above the formation level of the Rangitata railway station.

Mail from the south was unable to be conveyed across the Rangitata River from the 29th due to the great risk posed.

Seven piles of the Rangitata bridge were carried away early on the morning of the 8th October. Both ends of the bridge was very much weakened.

A further flood occurred in the Rangitata River on the 10th through the snow melting in the mountains.

Another span of the Rangitata bridge gave way, and trains could not cross.

The Waihao River had a peak flow of 117,000 cusecs (3313 cumecs), from a rating curve.

There were three separate floods in Otago: 25th-26th September, 29th-30th September, and 4th-12th October.

On the 26th the Clutha River tributaries rose and every river and stream in the district was in flood. The waters all flowed down to swell the Clutha.

The Clutha, Kawarau and Manuherikia Rivers were higher than they had been known for years, rising 6-12 metres above normal.

The Taieri River was uninfluenced beyond a normal summer rise.

The land was a perfect waste of waters from the narrow neck of the river about 3-4 miles (4.8-6.4 km) above Balclutha to the sea and from Otanomomo to Kaitangata hills. The whole of the Clutha and Kaitangata districts looked like a inland sea, with only scattered roofs and treetops showing above the flood.

All bridges on the Clutha River, except for the Cromwell bridges, were carried away.

The Clutha River was considered to have been the biggest on record as far as flow is concerned.

The Clutha River washed away houses, bridges, timber, furniture, farm equipment and livestock and nearly every town along river's bank was inundated. The flood was far more destructive of property than the 1863 flood.

Communications were disrupted in the Lake and Vincent counties.

All traffic was stopped between Clyde and Cromwell on the 26th, as the river covered the road in places. The road from Cromwell to the lake was impassable on the 5th.

Telegraph communication between Clinton and Balclutha was still interrupted on the 30th, as the floods were as high as ever and 15 telegraph poles had been entirely carried away.

From Port Molyneux to Lovells Flat the whole of the level country was a sea of water.

Stock losses were enormous and the total was never accurately assessed. A large number of sheep and cattle drowned in the Clutha floods were washed ashore on the beach at Dunedin.

The flood was comparable to the floods of January 1919 and Nov-Dec 1957 (the flood lasted 6 weeks).

The rivers in the country districts were again rising on the 10th October due to the hot winds.

Immense quantities of trout were destroyed in the floods. Trout measuring from 1-20 in (2.5-50.8 cm) were found imbedded in the banks of the Clutha River. It was supposed they were washed out of the Frasers River.

The estimated damage cost for the Bruce County was £8753 ($1,210,900 2008 dollars).

The estimated damage cost for the Clutha County was £26,150 ($3,617,700 2008 dollars).

The estimated damage cost for the Lake County was £26,940 ($3,727,000 2008 dollars).

The estimated damage cost for the Tuapeka County was £19,000 ($2,628,500 2008 dollars).

The estimated damage cost for the Vincent County was £19,990 ($2,765,500 2008 dollars).

The total estimated damage for the Otago districts was £100,830 ($13,949,100 2008 dollars).

The estimated cost for restoration of the damage in the Bruce County was £11,000 ($1,521,800 2008 dollars).

The estimated cost for restoration of the damage in the Clutha County was £29,000 ($4,011,900 2008 dollars).

The estimated cost for restoration of the damage in the Lake County was £24,000 ($3,320,200 2008 dollars).

The estimated cost for restoration of the damage in the Tuapeka County was £15,000 ($2,075,100 2008 dollars).

The estimated cost for restoration of the damage in the Vincent County was £24,000 ($3,320,200 2008 dollars).

The total estimated cost for restoration of the damage in the Otago districts was £103,000 ($14,249,300 2008 dollars).

In the vicinity of Balclutha alone, £31,000 ($4,288,600 2008 dollars) was needed for immediate repairs.

At Newcastle (Albert Town), Mr Norman's large store and stables and a punt were carried away.

The Clutha River commenced to rise at Alexandra on the night of the 24th and continued until 3pm on the 25th, when it was 6 ft (1.8 m) above the big flood of January 1866.

The Manuherikia River was backed up by the Clutha River at the township, where it was a lake.

Great damage was done. The wires ropes of the Alexandra punt were carried away. Four cob cottages fell to pieces when the water rose above the stone foundations and a wooden stable came away from the crossing on Ida Valley road.

Traffic was entirely suspended.

Many families were flooded out of their homes on the night of the 25th.

The estimated peak discharge of the Clutha River at Alexandra was 117,000 cusecs (3313 cumecs).

The Clutha River had a peak flow of 102,000 cusecs(2888 cumecs) at Alexandra on 25th September (from a reconstructed discharge curve), with a catchment area of 5315 square miles (13,766 km^2).

The Clutha River reached a height of 41 ft (12.50 m) at the Alexandra gauge on 25th September.

The Clutha River had a peak flow of 135,000 cusecs (991 cumecs) at Alexandra on 29th September (from a reconstructed discharge curve), with a catchment area of 5315 square miles (13,766 km^2).

The Clutha River reached a height of 48 ft 10 in (14.88 m) at the Alexandra gauge on 29th September.

The river was well up to the cellars of two storekeepers and in the dining room of one. The flood waters of the Manuherikia River were well up to Beck's brewery buildings about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the township.

Alexandra reported that the rivers were rising again on the 10th.

Owen's place at Arrow Bluff was completely swept away.

A disastrous flood occurred in Arrowtown on the 25th and all the rivers remained flooded on the 26th.

Communication was interrupted in every direction. All the tracks were impassable. Scarcely a bridge in the county was intact and none were passable.

Miners in isolated parts had their supplies cut off.

Several families had to flee their homes.

The river at the back of Arrowtown was encroaching on the municipality and washing away the sections abutting the river, by the yard.

Severe damage was done to the crops.

The rivers were again almost up to flood levels on the 10th October.

A portion of the town reserves went into the river.

At Balclutha, the Clutha River began to rise on the night of the 25th. It overflowed its banks at noon on the 26th, rising 16 ft (4.9 m) above normal, and attained its peak during the morning of the 27th from 12am to about 9am. The river commenced to fall slowly on the 27th.

The river commenced to flow into the town streets at 11am on the 26th. About three-quarters of the town was covered. A considerable number of residences were dry inside but the streets and most of the allotments were covered with water. The main current of water appeared to be at the south end towards the hills. The streets were like rivers all day on the 27th. Most of the streets were clear on the 28th.

The average depth of the water was 2 ft (61 cm).

The water was 4 ft (1.2 m) deep in some parts of the streets and was level with the top of the fencing at the old bridge.

Many families were taken to houses on the north side of the river. At Mr Toshach's house, between 200 and 300 people, who had been driven from their low-lying properties, were congregated in and around the house.

Many people had to take refuge on the roofs of their houses.

The water was 1 ft (30.5 cm) higher than the 1919 flood level.

Newpapers were delivered mostly by boat.

A perfect river was running a few hundred yards beyond the Wesleyan Chapel. The only damage at first to the railway works was caused by a rush of water in that direction. Some holes were made in the streets. Household goods suffered considerably and most gardens were utterly destroyed.

Balclutha was isolated by rail and road. The railways were all broken down.

Stock losses were immense. One horse was drowned while being driven through John St.

The Clutha River rose a second time on the morning of the 29th. The highest water mark was reached at 11am on the 30th. The river subsided a few inches on the afternoon of the 30th, then rose again on the morning of the 1st, before continuing to fall. On the afternoon of the 3rd the flood was 3 ft (91 cm) down from the highest mark.

People rushed to the Crown Hotel and Platt's Hotel on higher ground, and every available house was crowded with people. There were still only a few families remaining in the town on the night of the 3rd. Most of the inhabitants returned to town on the 8th and 9th.

Some people were marooned in their houses for a few days. Four families were seen clinging to the tops of their houses at daybreak on the 30th.

The flood was a few inches higher than the flood of 1866.

Great damage was done to farmers as sowing operations had been completed. Grain was lost, grass was lost and crops were effectually destroyed. Profit was entirely lost from farmers on the flat who obtained store and young stock. The ground would not recover from the effects of this flood for several years. One farmer had 300 bags of grain under water for a week.

The estimated peak discharge of the Clutha River at Balclutha was 180,000 cusecs (5097 cumecs).

Streets near the Clutha River were washed away and mud pits formed in some streets. A canal 30 ft (9.1 m) wide formed between Messrs Brewer's and Tosh's places.

Damage to roads, flood banks, etc., was estimated at £100,830 ($13,949,100 2008 dollars), not including damage to the Balclutha township.

The Clutha River had a peak flow of 135,000 cusecs (3823 cumecs) at Balclutha on 27th September.

The Clutha River had a peak flow of 200,000 cusecs (5663 cumecs) at Balclutha on 30th September.

The Clutha River had a peak flow of 135,000 cusecs (3823 cumecs) at Balclutha on 12th October.

Several lives were reported to have been lost at Balclutha. A man drowned in the main street when he stepped into a hole gouged out by the flood. Another man and horse were seen floating down the river, with the man caught in the stirrups, and both were said to have drowned.

Two or three spans of the wooden bridge were carried away.

The country around Balclutha was one sheet of water on the 30th. There had never been such a flood. The town was still submerged on the night of the 3rd, with the only dry place being around the Crown Hotel.

There was no communication with the other side of the river, the township or the island (Inch Clutha).

Six people, three men, a woman and two children, were rescued after being marooned on a house roof for two or three days. Their feet were greatly swollen. A house, with three people inside, was swept away during the night of the 29th. The people were rescued but were very much bruised.

On the morning of the 30th, the Clyde and Roxburgh bridges, fixed one on top of the other, swept past Balclutha.

Three houses, a small store, a fancy goods shop and a blacksmith's shop were washed away, and several buildings were undermined, including the railway station buildings. Garden fences were also washed away.

The average depth of the water on the night of the 3rd was 2 ft (61 cm).

The rail was much damaged. The ebmankment appeared to be seriously damaged for a length of about 1/4 mile (402 m).

The Clutha River again peaked during the night of the 4th, before falling slowly.

People started leaving again from most parts of the township on the 9th as heavy rain returned. Almost the whole population had left the town by the 11th.

The river was rising about 1 in (2.5 cm) every 20 minutes at Balclutha on the 10th. The water was across the road at the Post Office.

The Clutha River commenced rising again rapidly early on the morning of the 11th and continued to rise during the day. It made a channel through the town along Gordon St. The river rose during the night and flooded the town.

On the 12th the town was was in much the same condition as it was during the big flood on the 4th. A strong current was running and channels were forming through the town. A house on the river bank was half in the river.

The flood on 11th October was the last straw for many residents - about 150 people abandoned Balclutha homes at that time.

One of the piers of the road bridge at Balclutha was destroyed at 9am on the 14th. The bridge was rapidly sinking that night and was eventually destroyed.

A house below the bridge was washed away during the night of the 13th.

At Balclutha, 12-18 families needed immediate assistance due to their houses having been washed away or ruined. One resident on the north bank at Balclutha had 30 people staying in his house constantly for about a week and some of them had to stay almost a whole fortnight. Some people had as many as 60 people in their house at one time.

Articles of furniture of every kind were destroyed. In some houses silt was left on the floor to a level half way up the knee.

The loss of the Balclutha bridge cost £17,000 (Nov 1957), ($713,500 2008 dollars).

The Bannockburn bridge was carried away.

The Beaumont bridge was carried away.

The township was under water.

The mail coach from Roxburgh to Dunedin could not cross the back water of the Benger Burn and had to return.

An enormous quantity of mining plant was destroyed at Cardrona.

The bridge at Clyde broke down at one end on the 26th and was eventually carried away. It had recently cost £6000 ($810,790 2008 dollars).

At Clyde, the river had gone down 4 ft (1.2 m) at 9:30am on the 27th.

The Dunstan Hospital (then made mostly of timber and iron) was cut in sections and removed from the bank being undermined to the place it now stands.

Clyde reported that the rivers were rising again on the 10th October.

The flood at Cromwell on the 26th was the heaviest ever known.

The low-lying farms near Cromwell were completely submerged. Only the ridges of the buildings could be seen.

The Clutha River had risen more than 20 ft (6.1 m) on the 26th.

The flood was slowly subsiding on the 28th.

The coal pits were all flooded.

Stock losses were considerable. Dead horse, cattle and sheep were swept down the river.

Communication with Wanaka was interrupted.

At Cromwell, the Clutha River rose 35-40 ft (10.7-12.2 m) above normal, and submerged low-lying land.

The Kawerau River rose 8 m at Cromwell.

The upper flat at Cromwell was entirely submerged, with little more than the roofs of the houses above water.

Bridges, roads, telegraph lines and property suffered. The destruction of property was very great. Quantities of timber and debris of all kinds were swept down the river. A house on Mr Goodger's farm was swept away, passed clear of the Cromwell bridge, then fell to pieces.

All the roads in the Cromwell district were in a frightful state on the 5th.

The mining industry received a damaging blow, with water races everywhere wrecked.

The 1/2 mile (805 m) of the Cromwell road, immediately above and below Adam's dairy was washed away.

During the flood the water had covered the road to a depth of 20 ft (6.1 m).

At Ettrick, 6 ft (1.8 m) of water entered the hotel.

At the head of the Lakes, people had to retire to the ranges.

At Inch Clutha, almost the only things remaining uncovered were houses, clumps of bushes and sandhills at the head of the island.

The schoolhouse was washed away.

Signals of distress coming from Inch Clutha were heard in Balclutha on the night of the 29th, though no immediate assistance could be sent.

It was estimated that the river was running at the rate of 16 mph (26 km/hr) on the 30th.

A large break 4 chains (80 m) wide was made by the flood in the bank above the Inch Clutha school. A channel was cut by the flood right into the centre of the island and three new rivers were formed.

On the 1st, the island was totally covered, with only the tops of the houses visible.

Most of the stock on the island was saved.

At Inchclutha, six families needed immediate assistance due to their houses having been washed away or ruined.

All communication with Kaitangata was cut off.

All lower portions of the township were flooded.

Residents along the river bank had to shift to higher ground, many by boat.

Gray's nursery was entirely under water, with 2 ft (61 cm) in the greenhouse.

The main railway line had about 1/2 mile (805 m) of embankment washed away at the continuation southward past the station.

At Kaitangata, 10 families needed immediate assistance due to their houses having been washed away or ruined.

On the 6th the beach from Rowley's Crossing, nearly as far as the Kartigi Lighthouse, was littered with timber, bits of furniture, vegetables and other articles.

The Kawarau River rose 24 ft (7.3 m) above normal.

Water flooded the railway at Kingston to a depth of 2 ft (61 cm).

The Waiau River had a peak flow of 60,000 cusecs (1699 cumecs) at the Lake Manapouri outfall, with a catchment area of 1854 square miles (4802 km^2).

The discharge from Lake Wanaka was 52,600 cusecs (1489 cumecs).

The Clutha River rose 44 ft (13.4 m) above normal.

Lake Wakatipu reached a height of 5.691 m at the recorder during September.

The country about Lovells Flat was under water.

The Balmoral Hotel at Manorburn was flooded out and Mr Grimmel's dwelling house was completely destroyed

Several Chinamen residing on Manorburn Island were rescued from certain death. At Manorburn Creek 8 or 9 miners and their camp were isolated on an island by the river.

The Manuherikia River rose 29 ft (8.8 m) above normal, and the valley was transformed into a lake.

Several feet of silt were deposited on the valley floor.

Houses were swept away at Millers Flat.

Hundreds of people left the flooded townships of Balclutha, Stirling and Kaitangata, and made for Tokomairiro. The town was so crowded that the members of the Borough Council formed a Vigilance Committee to keep order.

The Manuherikia River had a peak flow of 29,000 cusecs (821 cumecs) at Ophir, with a catchment area of 785 square miles (2033 km^2).

The Clutha River created two new mouths, leaving Port Molyneaux high and dry.

The river was very high at Port Molyneux, rising to the level of the floor of Mr Patterson's store. Mr Patterson had never seen the river so high in the 21 years he had resided there.

Port Molyneaux was ruined for a while by a bar that was formed so people could collect carcasses for their skins.

The town creek overflowed its banks on the 25th. It was the heaviest flood ever witnessed there.

Water went into every street leading to the main streets, which were much cut up.

Private property was badly damaged.

The Shotover River was higher than during the "Old Man" floods.

Lake Wakatipu rose to a phenomenal height as snow from the ranges thawed rapidly.

There was 6 ft (1.8 m) of water in Eichardt's Hotel.

Boats navigated the streets.

The flood peaked at Queenstown on the 29th.

Queenstown was a perfect wreck on the 4th, with the upper part of town swamped by the creek and the lower part by the lake. The town creek overflowed worse than ever.

The upper part of town was 3 ft (91 cm) under water.

The low-lying part of town was wholly submerged, with 8-10 ft (2.4-3.0 m) of water in some places.

The water was 4 ft (1.2 m) deep in the commercial room of Eichart's Hotel on the 4th.

The water was 3 ft (91 cm) deep in Hallenstein's store, higher up Bench St.

The premises of Hotop, the chemist, the Prince of Wales Hotel, the Victoria and Davis' brewery were gone. The Masonic Hall was seriously damaged.

The Mail office was partly submerged and publication of the paper was stopped.

A general evacuation of Queenstown was made.

The roads to Moke Creek and Skippers were swept away, many places on the road were a mere wreck, and it was even dangerous to travel over on foot. Hundreds of pounds worth of damage was done to the streets.

Lake Wakatipu was again rising on the 11th October.

At Roxburgh, the river rose 34 ft (10.4 m).

At Roxburgh, the Clutha River was about 2 ft (61 cm) higher on the morning of the 26th than the highest known flood.

The river apparently reached its peak on the evening of the 26th.

The water rose up to houses and some were swept away. Many mining claims were washed away and ruined.

The Roxburgh bridge was swept away.

On 11th October, the river was within 4 ft (1.2 m) of the highest flood, and was still rising at the rate of 6 in (15 cm) per hour.

Up till 8pm on the 26th, the township was dry, then overnight it was flooded. Stirling suffered more than Balclutha proportionately. Water came with a rush and stores and dwellings were more completely submerged.

Every family but one left the town.

The railway line between Stirling and the Clutha was impassable on the 27th. The railway lines approaching the Stirling station were covered in water and the line of railway between Stirling and Kaitangata had the appearance of a canal.

Messrs Hora, Roy and Co's store was in water up to window sills, and the Stirling Hotel was worse.

All paddocks on the flat were sheets of water, with only the tops of fences visible.

The river washed a channel through the township between the two hotels.

At Stirling, about seven families needed immediate assistance due to their houses having been washed away or ruined.

The planking of the new Teviot bridge was 3 in (7.6 cm) under water on the 26th.

The gale on the 30th raised the Waitaki River to flood level and it was still rising on the 26th.

Portions of the Upper Waitaki bridge in course of construction were washed away by the flood.

The Waitaki River was about at its highest on the 1st October, being up to the flood mark of the 26th September. It was about 3 ft (91 cm) below the girders of the bridge.

The river was a torrent of clay-coloured water nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and running at a speed of about 20 mph (32 km/hr). The shingle spits and islands had totally disappeared from view.

Many people sustained great losses, especially in cattle and sheep. Scores of horned cattle, a number of horses and hundreds of sheep were washed down the river. One farmer lost a great many poultry.

Boats from up-river stations were washed down and carried out to sea.

The worst flood occurred on the Oreti and Mataura rivers. Both rivers burst their banks on the 25th, flooding the country in all directions. All the country from Winton Bush to Shand's was under water, including Carmichael's, Shaw's, Gerrard's and Swale's farms.

The Mataura River Catchment had a flood assessed at 52,500 cusecs (1487 cumecs) in 1878.

Railway traffic was suspended on the Kingston line north of Benmore from the 25th. The train ran only to Winton on the 30th. Railway communication reached no further than Matuara on the 30th. The line from Mataura to Gore was carried away in three places. The main trunk line from Invercargill to Clinton was reopened on the 5th. The Kingston line was open as far as Elbow on the 7th.

The Oreti River was reported to have come down in a "bore" 6 ft (1.8 m) high on the afternoon of the 26th. On the 29th, the Oreti was higher than ever.

The telegraph line between Invercargill and Riverton gave way on the 27th. Telegraph communication was suspended north beyond Mataura from the morning of the 29th. Telegraph communication with the north was finally restored on the afternoon of the 3rd.

The country to Gore and beyond was in a truly lamentable condition on the 1st October.

The loss of livestock was exceedingly great.

The Jacobs (Aparima) River was fearfully high on the 26th and overflowed on to the adjacent low-lying country. The river flats were deeply submerged on the 28th.

Mr Cowie suffered severely in sheep losses.

There was damage to sown crops.

Fences were damaged. Eight ballast wagons were deeply submerged in the banks of the Aparima.

The railway line was washed away on the 25th. The first break occurred 2 1/2 miles (4 km) beyond Benmore, where 2 chains (40 m) of the permanent way was displaced. It was repaired on the 28th, but the further rise in the Oreti River undid the repairs. The line was also impassable between Winton and Benmore.

All the flats on the Benmore road between Dipton and Winton were under water on the 30th.

The Benmore road between Dipton and Winton was impassable on the 30th.

It rained incessantly during the whole of the 27th.

The Oreti River had fallen considerabley on the morning of the 27th, but after the heavy rain it commenced to rise again that night. On the 29th the river was described as being much heavier than it had been on the 26th.

The railway to Benmore was covered with 3 ft (91 cm) of water on the morning of the 28th, and the flats on either side were inundated by a perfect sea of stormwater.

Several of the farmers at Dipton had to leave their homesteads and stay at a hotel.

One of the piers of the Oreti Bridge subsided.

At Elbow, the river was higher than the last flood and still rising on the 29th.

The river banks were gone above Elbow worse than ever, were nearly gone at 33 miles (53 km) and 20 miles (32 km), and 50 yards (46 m) of cutting was washed in at 34 miles (55 km).

The Mataura River rose and washed away about 1/2 mile (805 m) of the railway line and was eating away the embankment at Fairlight.

The railway was under water between East Gore and Pukerau on the 29th, and was washed away in several places. The line was under water for 7 or 8 miles (11-13 km) on the 30th.

Gore was seriosuly flooded on the 30th. Only one store was left dry.

Mr Bree's place and all the bakeries were flooded 2 or 3 ft (61-91 cm) deep.

The floodwaters at Gore had subsided to the usual limit by the 10th.

The approaches to nearly every culvert on the road between Gore and Knapdale had been washed away, leaving deep and dangerous holes in some places. Many of the farms along the river suffered considerable damage and had fences washed away.

Crops were washed away from many of the farms along the river.

McEnnis recorded the height of the 1878 Mataura River flood at Gore, which showed the difference in level below the 1913 flood was 1.5 ft (45.7 cm) at Gore.

There was no mail from Dunedin on the night of the 27th due to the railway communication being cut off. The mails were brought through on the 8th October for the first time since the floods had begun. The first mail from Queenstown for more than a fortnight was delivered on the 9th.

Invercargill was isloated on the 30th, with railway communication suspended beyond Winton in one direction and Gore in the other direction The telegraph line was also down.

The road up the Waikiwi bush was almost impassable. The Waikiwi Bridge was left in an absolutely dangerous condition by the floods.

No mail from north of Balclutha was delivered on the night of the 12th. Mail with Dunedin was restored again by the 16th.

The railway line was covered with water where it crossed the Makarewa flat. At the Makarewa bridge the water extended from terrace to terrace, 1/2 mile (805 m) wide. The bridge was endangered, with debris damming the water back and raising the water level to the rails.

The Waiau River had a peak discharge of 60,000 cusecs (1699 cumecs) at Lake Manapouri Outlet in September 1878, with a catchment area of 1785 square miles (4623 km^2).

The Mataura River had never been so high within living memory as it was on the 30th. It was a sheet of water 2 miles (3.2 km) wide. The Mataura Falls were absolutely obliterated in the sea of roaring water that rushed down the valley, carrying masses of debris and dead stock.

At Mataura Bridge, the river had risen nearly to the top of the waterwheel of the Mataura Power Company.

One of the sluice gates at the paper mill gave way on the afternoon of the 29th. The rush of water washed a break in a foundation wall and the poorly built wall crumbled away. The mill was not expected to be fully operational for a month. The flour mill opposite narrowly escaped going down the river. All the timber prepared for finishing internal work was carried off down a supplementary river running at the back of the mill and was obliterated on rocks.

At the height of the flood, the river was within 2 ft (61 cm) of the suspension bridge.

McEnnis recorded the height of the 1878 Mataura River flood at Mataura, which showed the difference in level below the 1913 flood was 5 ft (1.52 m) at Mataura.

Eels were washed up in unusual quantities.

The western railway embankment on the New (Oreti) River flat gave way, with openings to the extent of about 4 chains (60 m) made by the rush of water.

The bridge over the Oreti River at the Beach Road was left in a "shakey" position by the floods. Three tiers of the piles had sunk and one pile was gone altogether.

Part of the railway line was washed away between Parawa and Eyre creek, 1 1/2 miles (2.4 km) from Athol.

McEnnis recorded the height of the 1878 Mataura River flood at Riversdale, which showed the difference in level below the 1913 flood was 2.75 ft (83.8 cm) there.

The Aparima River was discharging an immense volume of turgid water that discoloured the sea as far as the eye could see on the 26th.

The embankment of the new railway bridge of the Riverton line was washed away.

The Aparima River and the Purpurakino (Pourokino) River came down in heavy flood on the 1st. The flood was the heaviest of the past 20 years.

People were forced to take refuge on their roofs and the ferry house on the Riverton track had to be abandoned.

The floods were severely felt in the neighbourhood of Riverton, but the township itself did not suffer to a great extent.

A few cattle and sheep were lost.

The Waikaia River was in flood and was higher than it had been since the big flood of 1869.

All the flats were under water.

The approaches to the railway bridge at Waikaka were greatly injured.

The Oreti River was up to the foot of the Wallacetown terrace on the 27th. From there the water extended for miles. It had overflowed on the Riverton road and all round the telegraph line, where the poles were floating about.

The rise of the New (Oreti) River at Wallacetown was the highest rise within knowledge.

Considerable loss of sheep and lambs occurred in the neighbourhood.

On the night of the 30th, the river broke its bounds, carried away the culvert leading into Saunders' slaughter yard, near Wallacetown, and rushed through the yard in a heavy stream.

A old farmer, Mr Lawson, drowned when he became marooned on a hay stack on his farm near the Iron Bridge, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Wallacetown, and tried to swim to safety. He was last seen on the hay stack near the river bend on the 28th.

It was specualted that the river had risen 12 ft (3.7 m) at Lawson's farm.

The Oreti River was slow to fall but the Makarewa fell quite rapidly.

Considerable damage was done to farms in the neighbourhood of Wallacetown. Mr Hunter's place, situated on the Oreti River about 1 mile (1.6 km) above the junction of the Oreti and the Makarewa, was swept away entirely. The house, stable and 28 bags of seed oats were carried away.

Several small bridges were swept away. The bridge across the Oreti River on the Riverton Road suffered considerably and only the lightest traffic could cross it.

Around Winton everything was comparatively dry on the 27th.

The Winton creek, below the town, and the Oreti River were flowing in one sheet of water on the 28th.

One property was partly under water.

On the 30th, the Winton railway station was under water and the stationmaster had to use a horse to reach his house.

A stream of water 15 in (38 cm) deep was running between the station and the post office.

The Oreti River was described as a sea of water on the 30th and was discharging an enormous volume.

All the farms on Winton Flat through the bush were flooded and the water extended from the river to the road or from the Winton Bush to Shand's farm.

The bridge over the flooded Oreti River on the Heddon Bush road was difficult to cross on the morning of the 13th October.

The flood had spread for nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) over the flat. It was not quite up to the height of the last flood but was still rising on the morning of the 13th.

The floods destroyed a great many crops and also stripped the land furrow deep, washing everything away.

Wyndham was reported to be under water on the 30th.

McEnnis recorded the height of the 1878 Mataura River flood at Wyndham, which showed the difference in level below the 1913 flood was 2.84 ft (86.6 cm) at Wyndham.