Not taking anything away from the loss and heartache the Auckland floods have caused, but in the interests of balance Auckland's Kaipara district took a much bigger 356mm (14 inches) deluge in just FIVE HOURS in 1924...99 years ago.
"The oldest Maoris have not known such a flood".
So is 2023 "unprecedented"?
Nope. We have had bigger.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19240410.2.99?items_per_page=10&page=15&query=torrential%20auckland%20flood&snippet=true&title=NZH%2CAS%2CDSC&fbclid=IwAR2rboAYMuyVjwHPebeb8qYDEDon7GzzbRI4n2rgMuSpJ2u-Ou6KGIOA6QY
Auckland, 1935...
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10229962597997391&set=a.10203514286166125