HEAVY RAIN IN HAWKE'S BAY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22310, 26 January 1938, Page 12

HEAVY RAIN IN HAWKE'S BAY

RIVERS FLOOD FARM

LAND

CONSIDERABLE STOCK

LOSSES REPORTED

!M A() RI WOM K N RES C T K D

BY BOAT

(rRKSS ASSOCIATION' TF.I.F.<i It AM .1

HASTINGS. January 25.

Exceptionally heavy rain fell from 2 o'clock this morning until early this afternoon. Had the rain not stopped then there would have been disastrous floods in the Hawke's Bay district. Even now the damage which lias already been caused is likely to be extensive when a complete survey is made. The Tutaekuri and Ngaruroro rivers were both 12 or 13 feet above normal, the latter overflowing its banks at Pakowhai, and causing a considerable area of land to be inundated to as high as the fence posts in some instances.

When the rain ceased in the early afternoon the rivers were at their peak; but towards nightfall they had gone down considerably. During the last 24 hours in Hastings the rainfall was about 10 ir -lies, which breaks a 40-year-old rec< d. Outlying districts report as heavy or even heavier rainfall.

Electric power and telephone communications were interrupted in many country districts this morning, but during the day temporary repairs were made in most cases.

Flooding rivers have caused several roads to be blocked, and slips have blocked others; but the main road south is intact. Two Maori women were marooned in a house at Pakowhai throughout the day until they were finally rescued by a police party in a boat during the late afternoon.

Fruit crops about Hastings have suffered surprisingly little, in spite of the extremely high wind in the early morning. Plums are believed to have been extensively damaged, and there is a danger of brown rot occurring in peaches and nectarines when warm weather sets in.

Losses of stock are likely to be fairly heavy; but it will not be possible to give a reliable estimate until the flood waters have receded. There are instances of individual farmers having lost lots of 200 and 300, and it is likely that in all, over the whole district, the number will total about 1000. Most farmers took early precaution, removing stock to higher country when it was evident that flooding was likely to occur. Control Scheme Successful The new river control scheme held the waters, but inland from the main road, where the scheme is not yet complete, the Ngaruroro overflowed its banks.

The rainfall was exceptionally heavy overnight, the falls totalling four inches at Napier and 10 in the Esk Valley, 11 at Maraekakaho, and 13 at Maraetotara.

Some retailers on the west side of Heretaunga street suffered through last night's downpour, the shops being flooded to the depth of a foot in some cases.

Many sheep carcases are coming ashore on the sea front at Napier. One farmer in the Clive district lost 100 sheep, and many more must have come from the high country. The Tutaekuri river is discharging an enormous quantity of water without danger to the district.

A fault was discovered in the railway track, and passengers and mails by the Wellington express were brought to Napier from Whakatu by bus. It is not expected that the Taupo road will be open until Friday, and the Wairoa highway until Thursday.