TIMELINE

After Mr Wilson's visit we made a timeline of the 1984 floods. It is displayed in the corridor. Come and have a look. This is the information displayed on it.

On WEDNESDAY THE 25th OF JANUARY and THURSDAY THE 26th OF JANUARY 134mm of rain fell in the Southland District.

FRIDAY THE 27th OF JANUARY

All this rain went into the rivers.

The Storm Water drains overflowed in Gladstone. There was no more rain for the storm water to go into the river. The houses in Hollywood Terrace were flooded.

The timber and wood at Kennington timber mills floated into the river.

The timber blocked the bridge on State Highway One.

The timber blocked the second bridge at North Road.

The timber knocked out the footbridge near the Crackshank’s place. The footbridge broke the stopbank. The stopbank started to break up at 11am.


It took about an hour to get a metre high.

People and animals had to be rescued.

Some were rescued by boat.

Others were rescued by trucks or in the buckets of front-end loaders.

People and animals had to be rescued by helicopters.

The areas that were flooded worse were Grassmere, Waikiwi, Kildare and Prestonville.

It took a week for the floods to go down in most places.

It took two weeks for the water to go down at the airport.