Cyclone Bola cost more than $100m

GONE: The main section of the Wairoa Bridge is swept away by flooding after Cyclone Bola. PHOTO/FILE

Twenty-seven years ago almost to the day New Zealanders were picking up the pieces from one of the most damaging - and costly - cyclones in its history.

Cyclone Bola brought devastation when it hit during March 1988.

The damage it caused included severe slips, erosion, an estimated $90 million in horticulture and farming losses, the forced evacuation of thousands and the death of three people whose car was swept away by floodwaters.

Bola formed on February 24, 1988 near Fiji and reached hurricane strength near Vanuatu four days later. It affected about 3000 houses and 15,000 residents.

Bola's southeasterly path was blocked by an anticyclone north of New Zealand, holding it in a roughly stationary position while it caused widespread damage to the country.

Bola hit Hawke's Bay and the Gisborne-East Cape region of the North Island on March 7, creating some of the heaviest rainfall for a single storm in New Zealand's history.

A peak rainfall of 916 millimetres over the three days was recorded inland from Tolaga Bay. Other locations received more than half of their annual rainfall totals from the storm.

Winds of up to 100km/h toppled trees and tore off roofs, while the torrential rain caused landslides, cut power and sewage services, and closed several roads.

States of emergency were declared in Wairoa, Gisborne and the East Cape.

Te Karaka township, inland from Gisborne, was almost flooded by the Waipaoa River and it was feared Wairoa, in Hawke's Bay, would be inundated with overflow from nearby river banks.

Emergency and Civil Defence services evacuated 3000 people from Gisborne, 400 from Te Karaka, 300 from Wairoa. Horses had to be used to get some people not accessible by helicopter.

Northland was also affected by Bola. The region's main water supply was disrupted when the line carrying the water was washed away with a bridge, power and telephone lines were cut and a state of emergency was declared in Dargaville.

Almost 1800 farmers and about 3600 hectares of farming and horticultural land were affected.

The cost to the Government was over $111 million. NZME.