"On November 8, 1903, New Zealand suffered an unprecedented disaster. A typhoon made landfall from the town of Opunaki on the North Island of New Zealand, successively hitting the towns of New Plymouth, Pio Pio, Hamilton, Huntley, Waitako Harbour, Manukau, Oakland, Caperna, Colomandel, and Port Fitzroy. The disaster inflicted tremendous damage on the economy, industries, and all forms of infrastructure on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand."
Based on preliminary statistics, the disaster caused at least two million pounds in property damage to New Zealand and resulted in the death of over 36,000 people, with 84,000 more injured, some seriously.
Following the disaster, virtually the entire west coast of the North Island of New Zealand needed to be rebuilt, leaving at least 200,000 people homeless.
