EASTERLY GALE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5157, 27 July 1927, Page 2

EASTERLY GALE.

LITTLE DAMAGE RESULTS.

HEAVY RAIN UP-GOUNTRY

An easterly gale of cyclonic severity prevailed locally on Monday. As the night wore on the velocity of the wind increased and heavy rain fell, resulting in one of the worst easterly storms tha.t has been experienced for a long time. Fortunately, about six o’clock yesterday morning conditions moderated and the wind veered round to a northerly direction.

The average Paeroa resident looked sleepy-eyed and haggard yesterday morning, and here and there were to be seen little groups of people relating their experiences of the night’s storm.

Following the storm came the calm, and soon after nine; o’clock yesterday morning the wind dropped entirely and the sun shone through the clouds. Scenes of mild devastation were presented in different parts of the borough. During the height of the gale, the rustic fence and archway near the Methodist Church was blown to the ground. Several instances of windows being blown in were reported, while a sheet of galvanised iron was ripped off the office of the Public Works Department and a. number of trees and shrubs, were uprooted. There was no appreciable increase in the volume, of water in the Ohinemuri River until after daylight yesterday morning. Shortly after seven o’clock the water commenced to rise at the rate of nearly two feet an hour. By midday the flood was al its height, and measured 25ft 3in on the Criterion gauge. The Public .Works officials spent an anxious morning at the site of the new traffic bridge'. Fortunately the mooring -lines holding the barges carrying the pile-driving machinery all held, and other than the debris collecting on the wire ropes nothing untoward happened. An inspection was made this morning, and no serious damage can be ascertained other 1 than a large quantity of suit and debris having been washed into the boxing erected for the holding of concrete near the wing-wall on the T« Aroha side of the river. It will be necessary to pump out the silt and water' before the construction of the Avail can be proceeded with.

Traffic between Waihi and Paeroa was he-ld up from yesterday morning until last night on account of the volume of water on the; road near Messrs W. M. Sorensen’s and G. Buchanan’s properties. During the morning Mr Sorensen drove to Paeroa in a horse and gig, but tlie water was running through the floor of the gig. A motor lorry driven by Mr W. McManus was marooned on the main road, and the vehicle had to be towed out backwards by a 'horse on to high ground. Last night the water had subsided sufficiently to permit of cars getting through safely. All the low-lying areas in the borough were inundated throughout the day, but no serious damage lias been reported. The main outfall drain was running bank-high, but coped with a large volume of water. During the height of the ga.le there were brief interruptions to the electric power supply, but the defects were quickly remedied. All telephonic and telegraphic communication was maintained.

NO DAMAGE AT THE PUKE. Yesterday afternoon the water rose to the level of the Ngahina wharfshed but did not actually enter the building. The flood was anticipated, and every precaution was taken to stack tlie goods above previous floodlevels, and as a consequence no damage resulted. A large motor lorry, lieiavily laden, was pulling out from the wharf yesterday afternoon when tlie soft condition of tlie road about sixty yards from the wharf caused the vehicle to stick, and it had to be abandoned. Although surrounded by water little damage resulted,’ and the lorry was towed out to safety later on in the. evening. Conditions this morning are. practically normal, and tlie river has gone down nearly 15 feet. The steamer, Taniwha, from Auckland reached the Puke safely this morning after an uneventful trip. The rainfall for the 2'4 hours, ended at nine o’clock yesterday morning was only I.4'7in, so obviously there must have been a far greater rainfall up country