RECORD TIDES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 82, 5 June 1946, Page 5

RECORD TIDES

HIGHEST WITHIN MEMORY ABNORMAL CONDITIONS PREVAIL The highest tides within memory were recorded on the Bay of Plenty coast during the weekend. At Ohope particularly, the water reached a very high level, whilst Whakatane, Thornton and Matata experienced similar con-, ditions. The highest tide occurred on Saturday .night, When a large amount of water was backed up the river, which assumed something of its appearance during flood periods. At Whakatane, a small amount of water was forced up through the gratings in Commerce Street, and small puddles were formed in the *roadway. In the Strand, the volume from the waterfall was not sufficiently strong to force its way out via the Wairere Stream against the miniature waves which backed up the water in the creek bed to a substantial level. The water under the wharf rose sufficiently to flood the roadway in front of the goods sheds. At the ’ Whakatane Pleads 1 , highwater was almost level with the top of the concrete embankment, and spray was flung into the middle of the road. A portion of the partlyformed road leading down on to the beach was washed away. N The abnormally high tides continued over Sunday, and only commenced taking off on Monday night. On the lower reaches of the Rangitaiki, water lapped over the stopbanks, and backed up the drains, and when the tide receded, a number of puddles, were left in paddocks as an indication of the abnormal height which the tide had attained. Traces were also left in the Thornton Oomain, whilst towards Matata, the sandhills were levelled entirely. Ohope Beach Ohope Beach received the full force of the breakers, which in places, rolled in to the top of the sand banks separating the roadway from the beach. At the western end, the newly built private roadway, leading to Mr F. W. Lysaght’s property was completely demolished and carried out to sea. On Saturday evening, several breakers rolled over the sand bank opposite the Post Office and covered the road. Early in the evening, the creek beside the Captain’s Cabin was several times its normal depth, &nd after the water receded with the outgoing tide, the bed was* left covered with large clumps of seaweed, and pieces of driftwood. The creek further towards the Eastern end of the beach, beside Miller’s store, also rose, through the water backing up, and a single plank footbridge was carried away. The bed of the stream was scoured to a depth which preevnted cars using it as a ford.

For the entire length of the beach, a perpendicular bank several feet high was scoured out from the sandhills, and in many places, shells were deposited to a depth of a foot or eighteen inches. Piles of driftwood were also hurled high up on the sand.

Although high tides of this nature have been experienced before, they haVe always been accompanied by a gale and a very rough sea. The weather during the past weekend, on the other hand, has been comparatively calm, and under such conditions, the tides have never before been known to attain such an abnormal level. It is understood that probably no difference to the present condition of the Whakatane bar will result.