Gisborne And District Suffer Serious Storm

Chronicle (Levin), 14 May 1948, Page 4

Gisborne And District Suffer Serious Storm

Press Association

(Per

)

GISBORNE, May 14. After 30 hours of --one' of the worst storms in years, wide areas oi the Gisborne district fiats are fiooded this nlorniilg as a result of the spillover of the Waipaoa River during the night. Houses have been evacuated and families ai\ \ marooned in the Te Karaka disv trict 20 miles away. The Te Karaka district has suffered a deluge of 10.49 inches of rain during the past 48 hours, the highest ever recqrded, while fiirther north at Puha the fall was just on 10 inches, the highest since 1914. Gisborne was dreiiched by ' 4.44 inches in 24 hours, making a total of nearly seven inches in 48 hours, Te .Karaka township suffered the worst flood in memory. As the Waipaoa River overflowed through the streets a nuniber of. homes were evacuated, the worst bemg that of Mr. Lloyd Jones, whose roof is only part showing. Mr. and Mrs. J. Fletcher, of Puha, spent the night on their roof with a strong current washing round the house and fears are felt for the safety of those attempting to rescue them. Truck loads of men with drums to make rafts left today" in .-an# attempt to cross three chains of fiood separating the house "from the road. Half the iron roof of the grandstand on the town reserve was swept away during the night; carrying the power lines with it. Equipment of rowing sheds on the riverbank were evacuated . and | water entered the grounds of riverside homes. Pleasure craft and small jetties along the riverbanks disappeared. The main road out of Gisborne is fiooded and impassable at Matawhero, five miles from the town, and water is still pouring over fast, I ■ The flooding on the flats is lalmost unparalleled in the district's I history. Severed connections hampered a survey but a visual pictufe showS that the Waipaoa RiVer spilled over at five points. The peak will not be reached till midday when the surge meets the incoming tide. Maize crops in lowlying areas will probably be written off- by the volume of water spilling through them. All roads within a short radius of Gisborne were blocked this morning by still rising flood waters of 'the Waipaoa River. A number of cars caught in the surge had to be abandoned. The East Coast Road waS the only route open. The Poverty Bay-Turf Club's race meeting has been (postpop.ed - till May 22 as the course is fiooded to a ,depth of two feet and the V/aters are still rising. A late'r ' report /advises that the marooned Puha i family of husband, wife and young Child, who spent hours perilotisly perched on the top of a hous.e, were rescued by county councii hien 'oh an Oil driim raft at 11 "a.m. today. The rain tailed off this morning to occasional heavy showers, with increasing fair- petiods, and settlers are making frdntic efforts to rescue stock in paddocks undei two feet of water. In one place 200 sheep were abandoned, With the water -rising fa'st, large mobs pf cattle are likely to be Iost in another paddock where the gates are under water. In the Makauri area fence tops were barely sho\V~ ing near mid-day.