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Story: East Coast region

1948 flood

Video file

A storm in Poverty Bay on 14 May 1948 wreaked havoc and destruction, as is evident from this newsreel. As a consequence, flood control schemes were implemented on the Waipāoa River.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Weekly Review 351. National Film Unit, 1948

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Monty Soutar, East Coast region – Climate, flora and fauna, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/33279/1948-flood (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Monty Soutar, published 23 August 2011, updated 1 March 2015.