BIG FLOODS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 May 1929, Page 5

BIG FLOODS

FURTHER. REPORTS. <Cy Telegraph—Per Press Association.) HASTINGS, May 15. Owing to the heavy ramiaß tlie Ngaruroro is maintaining a splendid mouth and land mi the Clive siu.e is entirely free from flood. On the other side of the river, looking from Farmlon mil way station towards Nap.er, nothing out water can be seen, and the main road at Waitangi is co-.ered to a dept., ot over three leet. These no.nl waters come lrom the overflow lrom Hie higher reaches of the Kutaekuri ami Ng rat\,i'o rivers, and find an outmt i, uie sea a- Waitangi. Here also Hie mouth, is' good, and this lessens the danger m uceper flooding. THH FJ ,001) CONTIN LUCS. NAPIER, May 16. Eskdalo, 12 miles non.li, reports a rainfall of 9:(in. for three days. | At one point- between Napier and ' Hastings tlie railway track is 2ft. under water and one bridge has not been seen for two days, although trains are passing over it.

The weather appears likely to improve. A SEA OF WATER, STILL RAINING. NAPIER, May 16. ■ Travelling at a reduced speed, tlie express train succeeded, an getting through the flood menace this morning on the journey south. The' damage to the railway is not as extensive as at first believed and caution is flow only necessary by the train grew.'; The main roads south are still blocked, hut the conditions -are no worse than yesterday. Rain is fading, "but only one and a-half inches were recorded in the last 24 hours. A detour of many miles is necessary to reach Hastings from.. Napier. The danger is not yet overj as a large quantity of water has still to come down. Two rivers are in high flood, idle waters being within two feet of tlie historical inundation of 1897. Stock losses arc quite immaterial, owing to the promptness with which tjie warnings were; issued to fanners. Water extondsLqnjthe ridge of.tland on the seafront to five or six miles hack and some settlers are living under a threat of disaster. • 1 qr/q & , JX '• FLOODS : REACHED PEAK. '? NAPIER, May 16. , News frdm-•-Waipawa/ district‘' states that all the more important roads and bridges are closed: to all traffic. In one instance a? 'caiicrdtb bridge lias subsided. Moaned is- still threatened with danger and Papakura „and Pakowhai districts are still isolated. The weather is much brighter. The Mayor is organising relief crews in case the danger should become worse hut the indications are that the menace has reached its peak.

FURTHER, REPORTS

CARTERTON, May 16

Heavy rains throughout Wairarapa caused high floods in the rivers. Settlers at Ivokotau, Dalcfield, and Matarawa are surrounded, hut so far no losses of stock are reported.- Difficulty is experienced by dairy ‘farmers in getting milk to the factories, hut the waters are now receding rapidly. / The worst damage so far reported is at Hjnakura where one of four Dawson’s bridges erected some ten to twelve years ago over Paliaoa river, collapsed, and now lies in the river bed. In consequences, traffic to Bush Gully and beyond is completely cut off, the only means of egress being on horseback. The weather is clearing and the rain is much lighter. All the rivers have fallen. The flood in the Paliaoa river was the highest experienced for twenty years. FOXTON FLOODED. FOXTON, May 16. Fox to n -Sh an n o n, ' and Poxton,Palmerston North highways are blocked. The flood waters of the Manawatu are now' spilling into Mouton.. All stock was removed from the threatened areas. The train was unable to leave Foxton this morning owing to a washout in the vicinity of Rangitano. SUBST A NT J AL R ATN FA LL. GISBORNE, May 16. Til Awatere Valley, near Teararoa, 7.5 inches of rain were registered yesterday. FLOOD REPORTS. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. PALMERSTON N., May 16. Heavy rain in Hawke’s Bay caused the Manawatu River to rise rapidly yesterday. Early this morning it reached a height above normal } approximately of fourteen feet. The water overflowed the banks in the vicinity of Tiakitahuna covering the main road to Foxton to a depth of four to six feet in places; also an area of laud of approximately ten thousand acres. Practically the same land flooded last spring was under water with the consequent damage to pastures Residents of Rangiotu were forced to oviicuate their homes, in anticipation of a further rise in the Oroua river, a tributary of the Manawatu which is in high flood due to rain in the hack country and hacking up by

tlie Manawatu near its confluence at Rangiotu. Tlie railway line to Foxton is under water to a depth of eighteen inches and services arc suspended. It is hoped they will be restored shortly, as the river now has a tendency u subside having fallen nearly one foot :since the early morning when it broke its banks. No losses of stock are reported as settlers were forewarned by

the River Board’s gauge, which yesterday showed a rise all day from ■ve foci. to nearly fourteen feet at 2 a.m. to-day. Pohangiua liver is in heavy flood and there is a washout on the Ko-mu-ko bridge, approach and low lying lands are flooded. GISBORNE ISOLATED. G, SHORN K, May 10. Through traffic between Gisborne and Napier has been blocked for the past two days. Fifty passengers Inservice ears are marooned at Waikari 40 miles from Napier, whore the small hotel’s accommodation is severely taxed. Sixteen cars are held up be 1 ween Taugoio stream and Waikari by slips. 'The road between AYair-a and Waikari is now rep ;rted clear. No mails have been received since Tuesday. GIRL’S NARROW ESCAPE. GISBORNE. May 10. Carried along in tlie muddy waters of tlie flooded Manga pa pa Creek for a distance of .‘ICO yards, a six-year-old girl named Towers was rescued' through the - presence *of mind of a> small playmate summoning” help. Though unconscious when removed from the water, efforts at resuscitation were successful. ' VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. HASTINGS, May 16. Although there is an immense area of land under water in the lowlying parts, of the district around Hastings, there has as yet been no loss of stock reported. The settlers on farms subject to flooding had a warning in plenty of time to remove the animals to the higher ground. There is grave danger, however, of marooned stock suffering severely f.r want of feed, and the position will be very serious if tlie floods continue much longer. Already landowner's whose land is free fro in flood, arc offering to graze the s Stock, of their less fortunate neighbours. Hue settler at Pak'nwhai, A. R. F.

Allen is Completelylfpenned ip hy the ' flood and has 'only three or four acres above wator orl which to crowd’-his hungry stock. The highest rainfall for ten years. Js repoi-t'ed at Mara'etotaVa, 'near' VYniirArama, no less than 20.31 inches falling since Monday;. • ,'• . ; '. - \iv Railway communication was resumed with Napier this morning. The Wellington mail train left here thi*ty-five minutes lute.

Rain continued at intervals during the night, but the rivers are somewhat down. It is showery this morning.

GISBORNE ROAD BLOCKED. NAPIER, May 16

The main .north road to Gisborne is completely blocked and cannot be opened until three days. Many, gangs are at work, but numerous slips, have to be removed.

Noon saw no noticeable change in the weather, but the barometer is rising. Taupo road is also blocked at. Titiokura. , RIVER CHANGES COURSE. NAPIER, May 16. Tutaekuri river has made a new course for itself, settling' a dispute caused by the River Board’s proposal to divert the stream by way of the nearest route to the sen. The new course is half a mile below the overflow channel recently opened up with the hope of diverting the river. Until the flood recedes, the actual course and width will not be known, but full grown trees are being washed to sea without hindrance.