A CLOUDBURST

Hokitika Guardian, 8 November 1929, Page 4

A CLOUDBURST

. ‘ . ALARMING FEATURES. REiEFTON, November 7. The residents of the ' Crushington township yesterday went through an alarming experience when an unprecedented torrent of rain eroded the countryside in all direc- ■ tions. In the morning there was a. heavy rainfall, and soon after noon this culminated in J a 'cloudburst;The residents :of Crußjiington ' ■ statfe that (for about half an hour the clouds could be seen gathering together, the process being characterised by loud, thunderous reverberation, which gradually increased in volume until, with a tremendous noise, the vaporous masses broket into a deluge, which poured in great rivulets down the depressions on tta sides of the hills. The people at tha same time : could hear' the "reports of crashing trees, which resembled tha sound of gunfire. Everybody was unnerved by the; experience.’ ' The consequences of the phenomenon were at once mariife’st. In Reefton it was noticed that there was very discoloured water flowing down the Inangahua River, showing that there must have been a huge quantity of mud deposited into the stream some distance away. At Crushington was the point where several serious slips could be seen on the'hills to the south side of the river. These reached right (front the top of the hill to the waters below.' Midway between Black’s Point and Crushington, one huge slip came down the hillside, and the debris piled up into the river for a distance of about 20 feet. At Crushington, immediately opposite the local hall, the biggest slip of all came down, The debris projected into the river .more, than • half way across, turning the stream on to the Crushington side, and it was indeed .fortunate that,...the, rain ceased at that time, or serious damage might 'have resulted. The debris there includes boulders, a; tbn, in, weight and much heavy timber, some of the logs fifty feet in length, while some thousands of ton's of soil was eroded down by the cloudburst. At Black’s Point the water in the river rose so rapidly that those residing on the lower land became alarmed, and several made ready to leave their homes.'

At the Progress Battery, a 20-foofc water wheel used in connection with the tailings plant was removed from its foundations and turned some feet out of its alignment. Beyond this, however, no damage appears to have been sustained.. A couple of miles further up, the road at Menzies, damage was also clone to the road by big slips, there. being a lot of debris across the road, and traffic was dbstructed. A big gang of men were put on in the afternoon to clear the road, which was expected to be cleared of all obstructions. and open again to traffic this afternoon.