HIGH FLOODS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1932, Page 2

HIGH FLOODS

END OF DROUGHT. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. (By Telegraph —ter tress Association) AY A 1 MATE, February 20. Following on tlie recent extended drought, with the stock in various parts of the district at starvation point, an almost unprevented beany .1 all of rain, totalling variously from two to five inches, has fallen hereabouts. The fall has occurred over the past four days, a record being established in tins town of Waimate with 315 points for twenty-four hours.

Bone dry only last night, the Waimate Creek bed was-a raging torrent this morning, and several of the residents in the vicinity were removed with the aid of a spring dray as tiie Raters were menacing their homes. Two cars struck trouble in this creek during the night, and one remains there now, with its wheels upward.

Road and bridge damage is general in tile northern, end of the county. Many bridges on the back roads are down already and others are threatened. The Hook Iliver is at its highest for thirty years and the Makikikihi River threatens to flood the township. DAMAGE AT TIMARU. BRIDGE LOSES PIERS. TIM ARC , February 20. . After two ilr three months of drought conditions, heavy rain fell throughout South Canterbury during the latter part of the- week, and in the southern end of the' province flood conditions now prevail. Not for the past forty years has the Pareora River carried the quantity of water that it carried yesterday, and there is hardly one bridge spanning the river which has not been damaged or swept away. On Thursday the Pareora River was practically dry, blit inside 24 hours it was a raging torrent. The river broke through its protective works at several places, flooding the adjacent land to a considerable depth, and over a wide area.

i Two adjoining piers of the Pareora •railway bridge were washed away by floods this afternoon, the line dropping Mnbout eighteen inches. Th>s disorganised the train services, holding up the express. It is proposed to send a ’train from Timaru to pick lip the passengers from the express, who can walk ; across the sleepers at the bridge. It is understood that there is a had : washout at the Hook. Gangs have ' been dispatched to both places. FLOODS IN OTAGO. TERMINATION OF DROUGHT. OAMARU, February 21. One of the droughts in the, history of Ninth Otago has been terminated by a t f rrential downpour. Tim rain, which commenced on Thursday still continues. There are flood 'w-iters now rising throughout the districtA considerable loss of stock and crops is feared. The Main f-'outh Road, at Hampden is under seven feet of water, and the entire Knkanni Valley is flooded. The express from Dunedin yesterday was unable to proceed past Oamnru, and it eventur.ll v returned to Dunedin. The road north of Timaru is impassable. BENEFIT TO CANTERBURY. GOOD E7FF:;T ON GROWTH. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 21. The rain in Canterbury has been 'bountiful in the past three days, b--irinning with a light misty drizzle and continuing in increasing intensity. Basting for so i .mg, and with suc’h warm temperatures, the rain Ins done the greatest possible good. It has penetrated the parched ground thoroughly, and already there is startling evidence «M the fresh growth of grass. The rain will also make ploughing posribie. The total all ii,n Christchurch lias been 2.74 incites. Northward the fail •was about- th same, but it decreased to about one inch and half an inch towards the west.

The heavi< t .'all of rain since June 23rd last year as recorded at the .Christchurch <observatory 'for the 1 wotitv-four ha ts ended 9.30 this morning, \vl, a I.2in. had fallen. Up to noon to-diy an inch and a half had been registered. The. rain was reported by the Obs'-ivi’.t to he coming from the eoist-nort!:- it >t m heavy showers, interspersed wiln drizzling .rain. Temperatures have renamed mild. The rain is now general :.i the province. WEST COAST RAINFALL. ,SPORTS FIXTURES POSTPONEDOver three inches of rain fell in (treymouth over the week-end, following the heavy falls • which set in early on I‘ rirlay morning. For the 2! Iran’s up to S.a.m. on .Saturday morning 1.55 inches were recorded, whilst for the 9A hours np to 9 a.in. yesterday morning the tail was 1.78 i 'ches, a total of 3.33 niches The heavy rains on 'Saturday morning caused the ru -■stponenv'rt of the Karoro .Sports, also Lite intcr-clnh tennis matches .between tlm Creymoiitli and Jiokijka clubs. In v.ew of the l.’.ct that there

were so ma" ; comp.tit. in Oi'Oymouth for the meeting, t,he Karoro Sports Clnlt iCommittee hie-e now decided to hold the

.Hireling on Wednesday. fn addition to these postponements, all outdoor .'••port was “oil” on Saturday, the Saturday cricket competition remaining unplayed, whilst the takings at the .Municipal Baths amounted to sd.

There wa s a steady fall throughout the day, which made conditions unpleasant and as a result there were very few visitors to town, and business people report having a very quiet Saturday. The rain slackened off towards evening, and yesterday only intermittent si lowers of a drizzly nature fell. The small statams were, however, in a somewhat flooded state yesterday, while there was only a moderate fresh in the river. ;JTo damage, however, other than a few minor slips, is reported. In addition Ho the postponement of the League picnic yesterday, the senior and junior cricket matches were not played. In the Westland district on 'Sa.turday the rain was .steady and general, but there was no serious flooding recorded.

The comparative absence of flooding is indicative of a contrast between tit's and ■the other side of the ranges, in regard to the drainage capacity of the country, as three 'inches of rain has caused high floods in Canterbury and North Otago, MANY INCHES IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, Feb. 20. Majfy inches of rain have fallen since Thursday night, causing the postponement of the Auckland Trots, The Waikato races have been postponed. The second day ot the Auckland Trots has been postponed until Wednesday. MARLBOROUGH RAINS. SOME MINOR WASHOUTS. CHRISTCHURCH, February 21. There has been a phenomenal fall of rain in Marlborough. Ten and three-quarters inches foil at Hapuku, seven miles north of Kaikoura, in the 24 hours ended at 9 o’clock to-day. At Kaikoura the fall was 23 inches, but in the back country, dying to the south-east, many heavy falls have been recorded.

A serious slip came down on the road ten miles south of Kaikoura, The Public Works Overseer lias organised a'gang of SO men. It is hoped to clear the ro'ad to-morrow. Several minor washouts have occurred. One small bridge has been wapbed away, and the: Blue Duck bridge is unsafe for traffic.