WAIMAKARIRI UP 50ft

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28471, 28 December 1957, Page 8

WAIMAKARIRI UP 50ft

Estimated Rise In Gorge The most spectacular phase of the Waimakariri flood was in the river gorge, according to a Christchurch photographer. Mr Guy Mannering, who said that the rise in the gorge was probably about 50 feet in about seven hours.

“I saw great 50ft high trees turned end over end in the flood water in the gorge like tooth picks,’.’ said Mr Mannering. He said the river rose so fast and so far it flooded ground not before reached by the river in the memory of local residents. The roar of the flood in the gorge was "terrifying” and could be heard miles away. The most frightening feature of the flood was “great licking tongues of pressure waves of water whicn curled and looked to be a height of more than 20 feet as the water boomed out of the mouth of the gorge,” Mr Mannering said. The rising river flooded out the holiday cottage at the mouth of the gorge, where Mr and Mrs Mannering were staying. The water reached a height of four feet in the house, which *is itself high above the bed of the river.

Late yesterday afternoon the steady movement of the flood could be seen clearly continuing when a late aerial survey was made in an aircraft of the Canterbury Aero Club. Seen from the air the flood was still pouring through the breach in the stopbank at Englebrechts last evening. Still travelling strongly across farm lands it flooded the North Canterbury Catchment Board plant depot when the flood ponded up near the Belfast Hotel. Fuel drums were flooding about in scattered confusion in the large enclosure.