OTAGO FLOODS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1927, Page 4

OTAGO FLOODS

j Telegraph—Per Press Association.) I PCNEPTX, Sept. 7. j Light rain set in early yesterday : afternoon, and as night came, on, it , settled into a heavy downpour, which ; continued without cessation throngh--1 out the night and this forenoon, hut j the clouds broke shortly after midday, ; and this evening was beautifully fine, i A large amount of surface water is lying about in low-lying areas in the city.

j At the southern end of the town . n pipe burst and caused a considerable 1 area in the vicinity to be flooded, the : footpaths being inundated; and in one or two instances the water invaded ’ house. .The most serious happening in consequence was that of a South Dunedin family that had to leave their house before daylight and seek slid ter at the Police Station. The mother was awakened by one of the children crying, and found the water over the floor, so that evacuation was urgent. The police rang up tho Salvation Army, and it promptly arranged for a dry and comfortable quarters for tho family. A big slip came down on Lower Road on tho Otago Peninsula, and interrupted tho motor bus service. A, relief service was promptly organised, and the passengers, by walking along the beach, were able to connect with the waiting buses. A big area of low-lying land on the Tnieri Plain is under water, but no reports of stock losses have yet. come to band.

A record fall of rain has been gauged at Waipori, 2.35 inches having fallen from 10.30 a.m. yesterday to 8 a.m. to-day. This is the highest fall since records were kept over twenty years ago. At 8 a.m. 5 feet of water was surging over the weir at the tunnel intake, and 3 feet 6 in was going over the top of the dam. The overflow at tho weir is not considered serious,

as the overflow in May, 1927 was a jl3 feet C inch one. The lake this [ morning was still rising slowly. The great volume of water overflowing at the weir and dam made the Waipori a high river. The Gorge Road lias suffered considerably from the heavy rain and bad slips have made the road disgraceful in condition. A gang was at work this morning repairing the damage. Breaks and slips at Waitahnna, in the Lawrence yard, at Craig’s Flat and at Bowler’s Creek made it impossible for the trains to bo run from Milton to VTiller’s Flat to-day. The first damage reported was a big slip at Bowler’s Creek, and the Railway Department announced that no service would be run to-day between Lawrence and Driller’s /Flat. Later advice caused the complete suspension of tho service on this branch line.

The slip at Bowler’s Creel; is a big one, and at noon to-day it was not expected tliht tlie trains would be able to get through for several’ days. No damage of any consequence to lines in cr about Dunedin was reported. According to a message received from Lawrence, the flood in that township is the worst In its history. Heavy rain fell continuously from early on Monday morning to late last night, and as a result V/etlierstone’s Creek, which is at the back of the main street became a raging torrent. The swirling water pounded away at the railway embankment, 50 yards being washed away. Very scon the streets of the town were covered with between sft and 6ft of ater. Early in the afternoon tho business people, antici- j