FLOOD WATERS SUBSIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 52, 29 February 1944, Page 5

FLOOD WATERS SUBSIDE

SCENE OF DESOLATION

MILES OF SILT-COVERED LAND

THORNTON AREA SUFFERS

The greatest .flood for twenty years on the Rangitaiki Plains is mow subsiding, and as its waters recede, a trail of waste and destruction is revealed which exceeds anything yet experienced in the Eastern Bay. Both the Whakatane and the Rangitaiki rivers are still in high spate but the flood waters are draining away leaving thousands of acres of siilt-covered pastures where over the week-ends was nothing but a sheet of water stretching across the middle Rangitaiki in a broad belt from Te Teko to Edgecumbe and through Awakeri, and to the coastal strip at Thornton.

The central plains suffered heaviest of all when the Rangitaiki river burst through the stopbanks at Edgecumbe and poured in an rngry brown flood over the landscape, 'isolating Edgccumbc township and inundating the adjoining farm lands. The current against the Edgecumbe traffic bridge was so strong that it is now swinging by a few stringers, and has a dangerous buckle. It is closcd to all traffic. The Rangitaiki Dairy Factory was idle hist Friday only owing to the amount of water in the. buildings, and also to the paucity of the available cream supplies, most. of. which is now being manhandled across the weakened, bridge. At Edgecumbe itself, a thick carpet of silt covered the ground, and the same heavy deposit 'is left in the houses where in some cases the water was four feet high. Gardens nnd lawns are inches deep under the . -same brown mudThornton Inundated The final phase of the Hoods occurred in the early hours of. Saturday morning, when the accumulated, waters from . the Edgecumbe overflow • raced overland and filled the vast reclaimed lagoon which comprises most •of the Thornton district some six miles north of Whakatane.. The waters travelled, in a broad sweep roughly four miles wide and - covered the whole area to a depth of between four and live feet. Fortunately the. Thornton settlers had been given ample warning and most of the stock had been removed. Many houses however had to be abandoned, and the greatest loss to larmiers in this area will be the hundreds • of newly-built haystacks which have been ruined. Many miles of the Thornton main highway on Saturday were submerg--ed and impassable while the bridge •over the Rangitaiki has also suffered under the pressure, of the flood waters. On Sunday evening there was a steady decline In the flood level, though looking eastward from the highway the water still stretched almost as far as the eye could see.

Scene at Beach The mouth of the Rangitaiki presented an impressive sight as the raging torrent met the sea, which itself is discoloured for many miles. The water on the lower farms is expected to lie about for -weeks be- , fore finally draining away, but over the week-end ril'orts Avere be'ing made at Te Teko, Awnkeri and Taneatna to regroup the hundreds of dispersed dairy herds and to restore order from the chaotio. state into which, practically the whole of tha industry had been thrown on the plains.

Stories of narrow escapes and remarkable rescues are legion in the Taneatua district. Thousands of milking cows were, saved by lastminutc rescues by combined groups of farmers who by cutting down fences, driving and dragging the frightened animals through the flood succeeded in reaching safety. Near the Waiolio Valley a dramatic incident of this nature occurred, when Messrs Palmer Brothers, Geo. Attwood, Don Storey and some Maori neighbours saved the whole milking herd belonging to Mr R. Newdick, who directed operations. In .some instances a boat was used to remove the cattle.

Heavy Losses General The losses everywhere have been tremendous, both in stock and effects. One well Known farmer at Edgccumbc. Mr Alex McLean, lost 40 large haystacks alone.. From all sides come similar stories. The dairying season which up to the time of the Hood bid fair to be a record one on the Rangitaiki will now taper away to nothing. The herds will on the main be dried, off, for two reasons, the shortage of adequate feed which will take some tiinfr to J>reak through the coating of .silt which covers the plains, and (lie difficulty "experienced in collet? tinf the cream, Avith so many main bridges rendered unusable. "According to prominent farmers the eilects of the llood will be felt for the next two ye-ar.s, the anticipated time it will take to build up the pastures and re-establish the* daiiy herds which have been cut down. The Whakatane river which flows through Waimana, Taneatua and Opouriao has settled down substantially; and though still covering large tracts of waste country, i.s more or less confined. Unlike the farmers on the middle plains, where twelve hours warning was given from settlers at the headwaters of the Rangitaiki, the settlers whose holdings border this river have .suffered heavily. Stock losses run into thousands of head. Mr Neil Reid of Opouriao .who lost his dairy herd of eighty-five head is considered one of the heaviest losers. He had the additional chargrin of having to stand helplessly by while his terrified herd was whirled downstream gefore he could reach them. Fortunately later reports state that 35 head of this herd have been recovered. Throughout the low-lying farms dozens; of drow r ned animals were to be seen drifting against fences and other obstructions, where they were trapped by the swiitly rising waters last Wednesday. The total losses cannot be ascertained until a general sorting-out has taken place as many cattle it is known managed to swim to the higher country, and will probably be returned, to their owners. On the other band a vory substantial aggregate loss 'Is feared, many farmers being so heavily hit that it is doubtful whether they will be able to carry oa without state assistance.