FLOODS IN WESTLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 200, 10 June 1929, Page 4

FLOODS IN WESTLAND.

FAMILIES LEAVE HOMES. (Per Press Association.) HOKITIKA, Juno 8. The weather is still broken, but the floods are subsiding. The rainfall over the past four days was responsible for high floods generally, and a good deal of damage was done to roads and some of .the bridges on the main highway. The roads in the south suffered, and the approaches to mqst of the bridges were scoured out, chiefly on the south side, the general damage in this respect being considerable, though light traffic is able to get through. At Kakapotahi the residents had an anxious time throughout Thursday night. The Big and the Little Waitaha rivers meet at Kakapotahi, and the flood’ in the main river caused the flood waters in the smaller streams to back up, inundating the flat country. The water invaded the houses of bush workers, and families had to make an exit in the middle of the night. There was 18 inches of water in one house. Fences were destroyed, and tho approach to the Kakapotahi bridge was badly washed out and tho protection wall damaged'. Flood damage is also reported from the Koiterangi district, where the Doughboy Creek overflowed, flooding the farm lands and scouring the road. At Kokatahi the road was also under water for some distance. Over a mile of the road was scoured.