RECORD RAINFALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 181, 2 July 1937, Page 9

RECORD RAINFALL

FLOOD DAMAGE AT WHANGAREI. NARROW ESCAPES FROM DEATH. Per Press Association. WHANGAREI, July 1. Rainfall of 6.72 inches coming at the end of nine days of wet weather caused flood conditions in Whangarei this morning, and the town was isolated. The town enjoys, in a sense, the distinction of being the capital of the Dominion for the time being as Hon. P. Fraser (aeting-Prime Minister) and his party are isolated here. The low-lying streets of the business and residential areas are flooded and shops and houses are invaded with water. Those who suffered most are the occupiers of the block of buildings at the corner of Bank and Manse Streets, winch wore caught by a great mass of water sweeping down from the higher levels. The water reached a depth of several feet. The flooding in the main business area is not so extensive as on the last occasion, but it is estimated that, lmd the tide been in, many thousands of pounds damage would have been done.

Whnngarei’s rainfall in the past nine days was 16.2 d inches and the total for the month 18.4 inches—a record for the past 15 years. At 3.30 this morning two families living in a house in Railway Road were awakened by fhe battering of logs against the walls. The water was then a foot deep in the bedrooms and rising. Mr T. R. Maunsell and Mr and Mrs H. ICarau were faced with the necessity of swimming in the dark to save themselves and their six children. They found refuge in the Town Hall.

Two families lost their bedding and clothing, except what they wore. Poto Avenue houses were invaded but no one had to move out. Householders in Walton Street had to evacuate their premises for a period, in one house the water flowing through the back windows. Driving home from AYliangarei m the earlv hours, Air and Airs A. H. Crane had a narrow escape owing to the washing away of a bridge on the road to Ruatangata. The ear crashed into the flooded torrent and was swept downstream, but eventually caught on a post. The doors wore opened with difficulty and the occupants, clutching the branches of a pine tree, pulled themselves out of the water. They escaped with a wetting. but the" new car has not been recovered. . The worst flooding occurred at Hikurangi, where the water in homes is from two to three feet deep. Two landslides occurred in the lulls behind the railway station, blocking the creek, which later suddenly broke through, disgorging a mass of water across the station yards and through the dairy factory into the township. The water was three feet deep in the main streets. The damage in Mr Lomas’s store is estimated at £3OO. Other premises also suffered severely. The hotel was flooded and six cows belonging to the proprietor were drowned in an adjacent paddock. The town water supply is damaged The Northland to-day is cut off from the rest of New Zealand by rail. From Afaungnturoto to the northern railhead the lino is blocked by slips, flood waters, and washouts, and it will he some time before communication is fully reestablished. The biggest slip, between AVaiotira and Tanravoa, buried the line to a depth of 40ft. and for a distance of 60ft. North of AYliangarei there is a long succession of slips and washouts. the most severe washout being at Hikurangi. All the low-lying parts of the line are under water, in some places to a depth of six feet. There wore no trains north of Tvaipara Flats to-day, and the time when communication’will he restored depends entirely upon the weather. The flood may have a serious effect at Hikurangi, as it is possible that a now colliery still in the development stage may he closed. The mine is flooded out and all pumps were lost. Three men got out in the nick of time, being assisted to the surface with ropes. The possibility of the mine never working again is being discussed as it will take a big sum to de-water it. WATER'S RAPID RISE. LINESMEN’S HARD TASK. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, July l._ The worst of the flooding on the main

road between Auckland and Helens-1 ville to-day occurred on the section i between Kumou and Waimauku and on that between Rcwiti and Woodhill. In | both the speed with which the flood waters rose was remarkable. At noon motorists going in both directions had no difficulty-in getting through, hut by 2.30, when the tide m lvaipara Harbour was reaching its height, dips in j the road a mile and a-half on the I Auckland side of Waimauku nnd about' the same distance on the Helensvillo I side of Huapai were under water to a depth of 2ft 6in. Paddocks on each side of all these sections were under, water in all their lower-lying areas, j’ sometimes to a depth of several feet I Submerged by rising flood waters at lloteo, one of the two main linos of telegraphic communication with North , Auckland was broken early this after- 1 noon, causing nil traffic to he diverted to the east coast route. Tolephonc and telegraphic circuits on this line were still working under difficulties to-night, hut their safety was threatened by a tree that had been undermined by a slip near Wellsford and soemed likely to fall across the wires. Sometimes working waist-deep in water, linesmen made desperate efforts to reach the. damaged parts of the line, hut thej were prevented by floods on every available route. Reports received to-night stated that there was loft of water blocking the i road where the Hoteo River passes under it in Dome Valley, hilt the flood had not submerged the telegraph lines and circuits were still working. i All mail services to the north were disorganised by the floods and the Posf and Telegraph' Department had to send mail to Hokianga and AVhnngarei I>> sea instead of by rail. Northern mails to Auckland were held up on Wednesday night at Kawakawa, and this morning mails for the north couM not lie taken furthei than Kaukapakapa owing to the extension of the floods. As a result, mails for Hokianga and Ohaeawai were plated on hoard the Ronald, which left from Onehunga for Hokianga late in the afternoon. Another large consignment of mail was dispatched by the Claymore to-night for Whangarei, where special arrangements have boon made for its distribution to areas cut off by floods. One difficulty facing the Post and Telegraph Department is that the roads between Dnrgaville and Whangarei are blocked and it is impossible to make connection with mails. If one of the roads is open to traffic to-morrow, efforts will be made to distribute some of the mail for western districts. Work trains were sent out irom Auckland, Whangarei and Maungaturoto with scoria filling and beams for repair work, hut the gangs mostly stood by as it will he useless to attempt any repairs until the flood waters have subsided and the extent of the damage can lie gauged. In the meanwhile instructions have been issued by the Railway Department to stationmasters not to accept goods for despatch so there will he no accumulation of freight if the floods continue.

Tile floods at Wayhy, where the water is eight feet over the railway line, are described as the worst sinee 1917, and Hoteo is also badly affected. There the water had risen to-day until only the name of the station -was visible on the building, while a serviceman was forced to vacate his home.

Further north there was a subsidence on tlie line between AVaiotira and Tanrnroa. Reports from further north stated that the Kirikopuni loo]) was blocked by slips and washouts, while the Kaikohe branch line was affected at the Otiria end. There was also several feet of water over the line at Onoke, four miles north of AA’hangarei.

AMBULANCE JOURNEY. CAR HALTED BY FLOODS. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, July 1. The duties of an Auckland St. John Ambulance driver were rendered arduous this afternoon, when a call to Orewa was received. An ambulance was dispatched to bring a patient from Orewa to the Auckland hospital and an unusual depth of water was encountered in places during the journey.

The progress of the ambulance was halted at Dairy Flat, where water was over the railing of the bridge across the river. As it was impossible to take the ambulance across the floodwater, the driver, Mr H. Ryan, accepted the offer of a member of the automobile association patrol to convey the patient from Orewa to Dairy Flat by car. Mr Ryan was drenched to the skin fording the river. On arriving at Silverdale, ho was met by a district nurse, who reported that a boy cyclist had crashed into the back of a' stationary car, receiving severe head injuries. The driver s problem was solved when a passing motorist volunteered to bring the hov to the ambulance, which had been left on the Auckland side of Dairy Flat. Mr Ryan accompanied the motorist on this part of flic journey, while the district nurse and'the automobile association patrol proceeded to Orewa for the other patient. When the boy was brought to Dairy Flat the water had subsided considerably, and Mr Ryan succeeded in driving the ambulance across. Just as the boy was transferred to the ambulance the other patient arrived, and they were both brought back to Auckland, reaching the city at 4.45 p.m. • In spite of the fact that Mr Ryan was able to bring the ambulance successfully across the bridge, the drivers of about 30 cars, held up on either side of the bridge bad not attempted to negotiate the flooded crossing up to the time the ambulance left for Auckland.