FLOODS IN THE SOUTH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 73, 18 December 1937, Page 6

FLOODS IN THE SOUTH

-Presp Association.l

Low-Lying Lands Inundated at Little River WATER COVERS R0ADS

(By Telegraph-

: CHEISTCHUECH, Last Night. Streams swollen into heavy torrents rushed down the valleys behind the Little. River township all to-day and spread out over the low-lying farm lands in a flood almost coniparable with those of early 1936. Several families made hurried preparations to leave their homes, and in Kaituna district nearby some were forced to do so for fear of the rising waters. The situation at one stage eaused anxiety, but by eveni'ng the heavy rain of two days5 duration had eased, and the flood waters were quickly receding. Heavy rain was general throilghout Canterbury to-day, particularly _ in coastal areas, hut no serious flooding was reported apart from that at Little River. The general opinion among farmers is that there has now been sufficient rainfall for the present. The heavy rain set in on Tkursday night and was accompanied by raging winds. By this morniiig the main creek at Little Eiver and water courses down the other valleys were bearing huge volumes of water, And there was every indication of serious flooding. Stock was hurriedly moved to higher levels where it was kept in safety throughout the day. To-night the creek behind the old police residence poured right through the building frcim the back door to the front, forcing men who were camping there to leave hurriedly, The campers were men working on i/he new post office building, which was itsolf #urrounded by water. Timber for the building began floating away and the workmen were busily occupied in gathering it together. Along the main road the waters flowed in a stream two and a-half feet and in places three feet deep. Motorists were held up for some time, but by this evening they were a'ble to get through. The flood waters entered a grain store hut did not find their way iiito sliops, shopkeepers having barrieadcd their doors. The water entered one. ' home in the afternoon, but the flood dropped just in time to avoid tlie necessity of evacuation. Kaituna settlers were threatened with a repetition of the previous heavy floods, a,nd two families left their homes, spending to-night elsewhere. The road was under several feet of water and floods wero well up round the post office. At Ataahua had tho rain uot eased considerably in the later afternoon some of the settlers would have found themselves in a serious plight.