New Zealand's Deadliest Twister - Frankton Tornado

Did you know that Frankton was struck by New Zealand’s deadliest recorded tornado 73 years ago?

At 11:40am on Wednesday, 25 August 1948, a powerful tornado tore through Frankton with devastating force. In just ten minutes, three lives were lost, more than 80 people were injured, and around 150 houses were damaged. To this day, it remains the most destructive tornado in New Zealand’s recorded history.

A Path of Destruction

The tornado hit without warning, sweeping through Commerce, Keddell, and Kent Streets, as well as Lake Road. For several terrifying minutes, the air was filled with flying debris, shards of glass, corrugated iron, timber, and tree branches. Roofs were ripped away, houses were flung across streets, and telephone and power poles snapped like matchsticks. Cars were tossed about, trees uprooted, and entire buildings reduced to wreckage.

The New Zealand Herald reported on 28 August 1948:

“Roaring so ominously that it drew some people out of doors and into its grip, the cyclone came out of a rainy sky from the north-west … It ripped its way through Kent Street, and part of Norton Road, Frankton cutting a ruthless path 100–200 yards wide.”

One resident recalled the strange selectiveness of the damage:

“It was strange how some houses weren’t touched… in Lake Road where the railway line went through, the house next to it was gone and the others were alright.” (OH0477)

Across the River and Beyond

After striking Frankton, the storm continued across Hamilton. It damaged buildings near Clarence Street, including the Maadi Transit Camp, and passed over Hamilton High School, uprooting trees. The tornado moved into Hamilton East and Hillcrest, where more roofs were lost and trees torn from the ground.

By the end of its short but catastrophic path, the city was in shock. That same afternoon, a statement was made in Parliament. The Prime Minister and local MPs travelled to Hamilton to assess the damage and support the emergency response.

Help Us Preserve the Story - 

This natural disaster left a lasting mark on the Frankton community and on Hamilton as a whole. Many of the buildings impacted no longer exist, but the memories and the photographs remain.You can view images of the 1948 tornado via our Heritage Collections Online. If you have information, stories, or family memories relating to the event, we invite you to share them. Add a comment to the image records or contact the Archives Team, we would love to hear from you.

Together, we can help preserve the memory of one of Hamilton’s most defining and dramatic moments.

HCL_00330 The path of destruction caused by the Frankton Tornado.

HCL_09894 Destruction caused by the Frankton Tornado.

HCL_09881 Destruction caused by the tornado.

References:

Waikato Times 25 August 1948

New Zealand Herald 25 August 1948

New Zealand Parliamentary Debates 25 August 1948 retrieved from https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106019841359&view=1up&seq=104

HCLOH_0470 Interview with John and Bunny Mortimer