AFTER THE STORM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 144, 20 June 1934, Page 9

AFTER THE STORM.

FLOODING IN NORTH. WORST NOW PAST. COUNTRY UNDER WATER. From the near North to-day, as the result of yesterday's torrential rain, conies a tale of Hooded streams running bank-high, of low-lying country all under water, of bridges awash and piled high with debris of all kinds, of roads still barely passable, and of a hundred and one other incidents. The rain must have been extraordinary between Auckland and Helensv-ille. Oid residents t=ay it was tlie vvorst for ten years; some think even longer. All believe tliat there must have been a cloudburst in the hills somewhere. By this morning,, however, it was apparent that the Hooding was past itw worst; streams, though still high, had begun to subside, so that by nine o'clock this morning, the road through to Helensville was negotiable—though even at that time it was.badly flooded in parts. Pile of Debris. A hurried journey through the area told its own story. Everywhere that water could run, it was running; everywhere it could collect, there it was. At one place, in the Taupaki district, the greater part of 200 acres'of low country was under water at a depth which varied from Sin to the same number of feet. Between Waitakere and Kumeu, the flooding-seems to have been worst. Just past the former hamlet there is a concrete bridge. There was to be seen the first eye-opener. A solid stream of water must have raced right over that, for there was debris of all kinds over the road at a higher level than the bridge, while wisps of - ruslies were caught in the bridge railings. Fences on both sides of the stream were licwhiskered with all manner of trailing debris. Some of the fences were still under water, or perhaps had one wire showing. Groups of cattle looked forlorn on islands barely large enough to support them. And past the bridge the scene was all the same. Dirty, muddy water was everywhere. In every hollow was a lake; some farms looked mostly lake. Mr. W. Warren, who has a farm at Taupaki, said this morning that most of the three properties —his own. that of Mr. G. Adams and that of Mr. G. Leslie—had been under water, aggregating an area of something over 200 acres. Parts of that was Bft deep, and leaping like a mill-race. "One of my bridges," said Mr. Warren, "was piled up and broken. It weighs three tons, so it must have taken some considerable force of water to do that. I looked out of my house yesterday afternoon and I couldn't see much besides water. It was a case' of 'Water, water every everywhere, nor any drop to drink.' I've never seen such rain. There was a solid sheet of water right along the road near my place, while the bridge in the hollow, near Bell's hill, was feet under water." Roads Flooded at Kumeu. Roads were still flooded at Kumeu, to such a depth that it was only just possible for a car to get past. As it was, the water came right over the running board and gurgled in the exhaust pipe. Last night the water at that spot, and at several others near Kumeu, was Bft deep. There wa sthen three feet of water near the Tost Office, and 12in at the station entrance. The Post Office clerk, with nearly a foot of water in his premises, slept for the nig'it on the counter. Gradually the water rose yesterday until it began to look as though it was going to come right into the houses. It rose to floor level in railway houses, keeping the residents on tenterhooks right until ftidnight, not until which time did it begin to recede. Kumeu, in fact, to all intents and purposes yesterday was an island in a sea of ever-increasing size. It was long since impossible to tell where the road had once gone; fences simply divided spaces of muddy water —when the fences could be seen. On the outskirts of the town the area of country under water was growing all the time until dark last jught. Even this mOrning there was a lake of several acres in extent beautifying the approach to the hamlet. Perhaps the most spectacular sight was at Waimauku, where a transported Waikato was racing on towards its mouth in the Manukau. The water was barely 2ft from the floor of the bridge which spans the creek. Logs were racing down a muddy torrent, to crash against the bridge piles. The valley was filled with water, in some places to a depth of 12ft. Some of the logs against the bridge were 4ft through, and they were like corks. The same stream flows through all the way from Waitakere; and- most of the open country is near Waimauku, so that Waimauku felt the full force of the flood.