FLOODS ON THE WEST COAST

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25737, 24 February 1949, Page 4

FLOODS ON THE WEST COAST

Water Enters Homes At Mokihinui HEAVY RAIN IN BULLER

From Our Own Reporter WESTPORT, February 23. Heavy rain fell in the Buller district last night and this morning. Flooding has taken place in many country districts. For the 24 hours ended at 9 ajn. to-day, the amount of rain recorded at the signal station was 154 points for about 12 hours. At Stockton during tne 14 hours ended at 10 a.m. to-day, 866 points of rain were recorded. The rain began to fall heavily at 8 p.m. yesterday, and continued steadily until 11 a.m. to-day. Indications that the fall must have been heavy in the back country were given by the flooded state of the Buller river. This afternoon a flood tide was running at 11 knots in the river. In the Buller gorge flood water was almost level with the road and residents consider the flood to be the highest since November, 1926, when Westport was flooded.

Foot of Water in Hotel At Mokihinui the river rose at an alarming rate this morning, and at high tide water swept over the township, entering nearly every house, farm, and building. There was a foot of water in the hotel. Alarmed by the rapid rise of the river, residents took precautions, moving furniture beyond the reach of the flood water. Roads at Granity and Ngakawau were under water during the day, but no serious flooding was reported. At Karamea fairly extensive flooding has occurred and telephone lines are down.

At Inangahua Junction the Buller river rose rapidly this morning, there being two feet of water over the road, but there was no delay to service cars to Nelson from Westport. Two slips on the Denniston-Cascade road made it impossible for Cascade miners to get through to Denniston. Because of adverse weather conditions on the West Coast and about Cook Strait this morning, the Wel-lington-Nelson-Westport and HokitikaWestport air services were cancelled for the day. • Flooding in Nelson

The drought in Nelson was broken by heavy rain which set in last night, accompanied by a strong north-easter-ly wind. Nearly one and a half inches of rain fell in Nelson city and nearly five inches in Takajka.

Flooded rivers and surface water blocked several main traffic routes. This morning’s service car, which left for Christchurch via the Lewis Pass, did not get beyond Murchison because of a washout at Paenga, 21 miles south of Murchison. The car coming from Christchurch stopped at Culverden ana was diverted to the east coast, since there were two washouts near Culverden. On the Nelson-Blenheim highway traffic was held up at Canvastown, where the water was more than four feet deep across the road.

The Canvastown School was closed to-day because it was cut off by water. In this area a strong wind last night unroofed sheds and blew over stacks.