HIGH SEAS AT WELLINGTON

Chronicle (Levin), 20 June 1947, Page 3

HIGH SEAS AT WELLINGTON

" : t -Press* Association

1 ' ^ SOME DAMAGE EXPECTED IN STORED GOODS

By Telearaph-

WELLINGTON, June 19. Tlie liighest tide l'or'inany years was recorded in Wellington today. At high tide (4.36 p.nt.) a height of 5ft llins was marked at the office of the Wellington Harbour Board. The normal spring tide today would have been about 4ft 6ins. Today 's was the highest tide in the mernory of old harbour board offieials. The water seeped into the basements of many buildings on the waterfront and it is expected that some damage has been done to goods stored. Considerable damago to his property was narrowly averted by the proprietor of a small clothing store-in Featherston Street. When he inspected the basement in which a large proportion of his stoek was stored he found water seeping through to the floor. He spent many hours moving stores of clothing and pumping the water away. The bas'ement of the General Post Offiee was badly flooded and automatie pumps were working woll into the night pumping salt water iiifcptihe gutters in Grey Street. The Chi'ef Postmaster (Mr. E. J. Smith) said no damiage had been caused to mails. The basemeht was not now used to store anything of importanee as a high tide.often causes flood-^ ing. It was stated by''an offifeial' working at the 'post oflBCe ;that tlie fiooding was thew orst he coiild remember. Blown by a westerly wind tlie'waves were bfeaking over tlie Hutt -Eastbourne Roafi at high tide. in Lowry Bay, Yor'k Bay, Wahena Bay and Eay's Bay the waves were breaking right across the road, leaving qnantities of driftwood and flotsam, The height of the tide was most apparent in the lower parts of the Hiltt River. Areas never before seen under water by most inhabitants were well covered. It was stated by Harbour Board officials that had the southerly weather which had been predicted for Wellington comc with this exceptionally high tide tnueh damage among shipping in the harbour might have been done. Some fiooding in the low-lying areas in Hutt Valley could also have been expected. 1 ' When tho barometric pressure is low at the new moon high tides are often caused," said a Harbour Board official. "This is the only reason I can give for this abnormally high tide."