THE FLOOD DAMAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 February 1922, Page 8

THE FLOOD DAMAGE.

ROAD COMMUNICATION RESTORED.

Though the rain appears to have been fairly general throughout the Clifton County on Wednesday night, fortunately, its exceptional severity appears to have been confined to the Mimi watershed. Though the Waitara, Urenui, Uruti, and Tongaporutu rivers were all in high flood, the damage, as far as can be ascertained, is mainly confined to the Main road between the Mimi and Uruti.

It was expected that the reports from the back country would reveal considerable damage, but, on the contrary, this is surprisingly light, and it is well that it is so, for if the back coutry had had the visitation that the Mimi district had, the position in these days of straitened finance would have been disastrous. It is said that the rain simply teemed dotvn for several hours, starting about 10 o’clock and continuing till daylight with increasing intensity. This rapidly filled all the creeks and watercourses sn’d caused the country along the road to slip in various places. The first slip occurred at about the twenty-five mile peg, w'uere it completely blocked the road. There were a series of slips for about a mile and another very large one at the 20 mile. In addition, the Mapgamaeho bridge was lifted oft its piles and washed round on the Northern bank downntreaih for about twelve feet. The river, which in normal times contains about two feet of water, and is about 10 or 12ft. wide, had swollen to a river of over two chains, though it was comparatively still Water, being backed up by the flooded Mimi river, of which it is a tributary. The bridge apparently had been lifted off the piles, the water having risen three feet over the hand rails.

All communication by road was, of course, blocked for the day. The county chairman (Mr. R. H. Pigott), Cr. Sutton, and Mr. C. F. Dowsett (county engineer) were soon on the spot, and at once had matters in trim for opening the communication. Gangs of men, numbering over thirty, with horses and scoops were put on the main slips, working double shift, with the result that the road was opened for motor traffic as far as the river by 11 o’clock on Friday. In fact, by noon on Thursday, a motor car was forced through from Wai-toi-toi with a wire rope and a couple of hours Hit er a punt was taken through from Urenui by motor lorry and placed on the river. This is being used to convey passengers across the river, whilst the wire rope has been rigged across and a cage improvised for the carriage of mails, parcels, and cream, etc. A temporary bridge is to he provided for traffic and it is estimated that it will be fully a week or ten days before this with the necessary service road will be available, meanwhile, a foot bridge will be put across for the convenience of passengers who will have to be transferred to vehicles on either side.

The council intend to replace the bridge with a concrete structure, which It is estimated will/cost fully £lBOO, as it is recognised that in the face of the present bridge having been washed away on .two occasions, something more substantial and permanent must be erected oil a higher level. The Okau district also felt the visitation, but* here the rain was heavier after daybreak on Thursday morning. There were several slips on the road, but the settlers, in order to get~their cream through; turned out and cleared the road. The Tongaporutu river is said to* have risen almost five feet in twenty minutes and dropped nearly as suddenly. >Cr. Jones stated that a couple of small bridges were damaged and other damage was done on his property, and possibly in a day or two reports will come forward of other damage. The Waitara river is also in high flood and the discoloration of the water together with the amount of timber that is coming down indicates that there has been a very heavy rainfall inland and also slips. Cr. Mounsey, who came through the Mangaoapa Road via Purangi. Tarata, and the Otaoaroa Road reports comparatively little damage. The engineer in his report to the ni eting, says:—“The heavy rain of Wednesday night caused serious damage to the Main North and other roads. On the Main road numerous large slips and washouts occurred between Urenui and Uruti. and telegraph lines were down, but the most serious trouble is the complete shifting and wrecking of the Mangamaeho bridge, the»second time in three years. To replace it at the previous level is only courting further disaster. It is proposed to''at once erect a low level structure and endeavor to provide funds to erect an up-to-date main road bridge above flood level. In the meantime a punt is on the site dnd a wire has been erected, with assistance handy. To erect a temporary bridge on the present site means its demolition, and' a further temporary bridge erected on the up-river side. Any temporary structure requires to lie of sufficient strength to carry all traffic for many months, and provision should be made for requirements. Probably damage elsewhere has occurred, but the Xs has not yet filtered through to the office.