Extreme weather – what’s new?

By Marjorie Prictor, Albertland Museum

During the first week of April, 1924 the western side of Rodney County, from Te Hana to Puhoi and Ahuroa, experienced the worst flood following heavy rain, in the history of the area. Various accounts give the rainfall in excess of nine-and-a-half inches and the Puhoi river rose 17 feet in less than an hour. Most of the district’s bridges became casualties – Mangakura over the Hoteo broke in half, the old Whanaki bridge disappeared, and the Port Albert butter factory bridge was carried away. However, a temporary bridge there was soon erected by a contractor, Mr Bird.

Towards Te Hana, Levet, Pook and Wolf bridges all went. Many others suffered damage and the event also washed out bridge approaches and culverts. Jones and Adams, of the Dominion Bridge Company, asked Council the position regarding their contract to repair the Puhoi swing bridge, now that bridge had been swept away. They were willing to go on with their contract, but the bridge was not there for them to repair. They did offer to build a temporary bridge at a price, to use the timber and men they had on the spot. The Council Chairman deferred any decision until they had viewed the damage and consulted their solicitor regarding legal aspects.

Between Hoteo Station and Tauhoa, an estimated 4000 yards came down on the road in slips and one farmer in that locality claimed he lost 600 acres of land down the Hoteo River. Orchards on river flats lost their trees and crops, and grasslands were silted and destroyed. Communications were cut, with mail and goods being reduced to being sent by launch to Helensville. Telegraph linesmen were working at top speed as lines were down everywhere in the district. Helensville was inaccessible by road so farmers in Whangaripo, Hoteo North and North Albertland had to send their cream supplies to the Port Albert factory. Wayby Station goods shed was flooded and so to were the stores at Puhoi – seven foot of water being reported in some buildings.

All this was found in old newspapers when I was looking for information about the fate of the bridge on the Whakapirau Rd (pictured above), which I had been told was lost in a flood. I never imagined that the weather at that time had such far-reaching consequences.

We are regularly advised to expect ‘extreme weather’ as a result of ‘climate change’ caused by ‘pollution in the present time’ – maybe these events have always happened, just not acknowledged as natural occurrences.