HEAVY RAINFALL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 April 1938, Page 9

HEAVY RAINFALL

FLOODS OVER WIDE AREA RAILWAY LINE BLOCKED By Telegraph.—Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, April 15. The Taranaki-Main Trunk railway line was blocked by slips and flooding east of Stratford yesterday following heavy rain. Two slips came down, one each side of the Kiore tunnel, and in low-lying country near Te Wera about three-quarters of a mile of line was under water. An excursion train from Auckland to New Plymouth had to make a detour via Martin, and passengers on local trains were transhipped at the blockages. A works train was immediately sent to the slips and the line was clear tonight. The flood waters receded with a cessation of rain and that part of the line also was open tonight. The excursion train from Auckland had to be sent back from Whangamomona to the Main Trunk Line, and is not due at New Plymouth until 1 o’clock tomorrow morning. BRIDGES DAMAGED HOLIDAY TRAFFIC HELD UP By Telegraph.—Press Association. BLENHEIM, April 15. Recalling conditions prevailing in the Easter floods of 1931, holiday traffic was brought to a standstill in the district today as a result of heavy rain up country causing a high flood in the Wairau River. This cut road communication between Blenheim and Nelson and Blenheim and Picton. At one stage the only outlet available from Blenheim, apart from air services, which were working overtime, was the Main South Road, which remained unaffected by the downpour. The worst result of the storm was damage to the Wairau Bridge, eight miles from Blenheim on the highway to Nelson. The piles of three spans were washed out, causing the deck to subside and rendering the bridge unusable. Similar damage to a bridge over a tributary of the Wairau threatened to close the alternative route to Nelson, the piles of one span washing out. The structure remained open to light traffic, however. The Wairau River inundated the Blenheim-Picton highway at several points, rendering it unpassable. This held up numerous southern motoring parties bound to Sounds resorts for the holidays. North Island motorists arriving by the Tamahine were marooned at Picton, and, hotels being already full, travellers at both Blenheim and Picton had difficulty in obtaining accommodation. Tonight road communications had almost been restored.