FLOODING IN STREETS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28169, 7 January 1957, Page 6

FLOODING IN STREETS

Rain spreading from the south reached Christchurch about 7 p.m. and gradually increased in intensity, culminating in two exceptionally heavy downpours about 9.15 and 9.45. From 9 a.m., .81 inches of rain had fallen by midnight. Gutters and drains were temporarily unable to cope with the amopnt of water that fell and there was minor flooding of street edges and footpaths throughout the city from Cashmere to St. Albans and Papanui. The worst flooding occurred in parts of Cashmere and Riccarton, where some streets covered with water, forcing cars to negotiate them in second gear. Flooding from gutters was such that in Bealey avenue one taxi driver had to carry a woman passenger across the footpath into her home, while another woman in Merivale, alighting from a bus, stepped unwittingly into water up to her knees. Minor flooding in the inner city area seemed worse in parts of Gloucester street from Latimer square to Manchester street, in Hereford street, and in Manchester street between Worcester

street and High street, where water was right across footpaths. Passing cars and buses raised sheets of spray from a large area of surface water at the Bank of New Zealand corner. One of the deepest areas of surface water lay at the junction of Colombo and Cashel streets, the crossing of which provided the hazard of wet feet at the height of the downpour. Parts of Cathedral square were flooded with the overflow from gutters and Press lane was at me stage a miniature river, with vater cascading over the footbath into Gloucester street. Christchurch’s fleet of taxis was ept busy with extra work, but because drivers were forced to slow down on trips because visi? bility was poor, with rain streaming down windscreens, delays of up to half an hour in answering calls occurred, even though all cars were working.

Once the rain stopped soon after 10 p.m. gutters soon drained the water away in the city and footpaths could be negotiated without trouble. Except for passing vehicles, however, the streets were practically deserted.