Great Floods at Gisborne

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 2, 5 July 1892, Page 2

Great Floods at Gisborne

Lr*Jß UNITED PBESS ASSOCIATION..! | Gisbobne, July 4. The severest flood experienced here for j 16 years occurred to-day, owing to the heavy rains of Saturday night and jester day. Th« homesteads of many settlersare surrounded by water, whilst several had to leave their dwellings. It is impossible at present to tell what damage has been done by the floods, All the low-lying portions of the flat is covered with from two to five feet of water. During the greater part of the day settlers started to shift their stock to higher ground, though many have lost a number of sheep. A few families, whose residences are on the low ground, left their homes at once, At 1 o'clock the water broke away the road midway between Makauri and Wairangahika, flooding the Makauri Glals, and discharging the flood water down the Taruheru River. In some of the houses the water covered the floors, others had two to three feet inside. The tide being very high between 1 and 2 o'clock the water backed up, and the whole country between Espies corner and Wnirungahika was like a sea. About 4 o'clock a big rircr brolie through into an old channel at Awahuni. This relieved the flats greatly. There is no damage done about the town. News received from Ormond toonight states that the floods are again rising.