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Story: West Coast region

Flooding in the Waimangaroa River

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Flooding in the Waimangaroa River

Usually the Waimangaroa River, 17 kilometres north-east of Westport, is a placid stream (top). But after a few hours of heavy rain it becomes a raging torrent (bottom). Such dramatic changes are typical of West Coast rivers when there is heavy rain.

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by Stuart Henley (top); Simon Nathan (bottom)

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, West Coast region – Climate and wildlife, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/21061/flooding-in-the-waimangaroa-river (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 3 March 2009, updated 1 September 2016.