Flooding In Southland After Week-End’s Rain

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 14

Flooding In Southland After Week-End’s Rain

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, June 20. Widespread flooding occurred throughout Southland today after a week-end of rain, Five roads and numerous small bridges were closed, and the main road bridge in Qtaufau was impassable. Pasture in many parts, rapidly became agas of water, and stock losses are feared. In the damp blackness of thia morning farmers were (hiving cattle -and sheep to higher ground after flood Warnings, but in some areas the water spread so "quickly over low-iying country that thousands of head of stock were, endangered.

In Invercargill Hie Otepuni creek rose rapidly to run riot through the string of public gardens from Clyde street to EUes road, uprooting several trees in its path. Thq muddy floodwaters fanned out from both banks almost to Forth street to the north and Tyne street to the south. Buildings in these Mocks, among them the Refi Crdss Society and Plunket Satiety rooms, the Pensioners’ Hall, and the Southland Bowling Club pavilion, were surrounded by feet of water all day. Winton, 19 miles north of Invercargill in the middle of a rich farming district, was almost isolated. All but its northern outlet were dosed. Tonight water covered the main highway south for about half a mue from the Gap road bridge, just outside the borough. Of Southland’s big rivers, the Oreti is expected to reach its peak in the lower regions early tomorrow morning, and the Aparima’s peak was expected to reach the sea tonight The Mataura river was Bft above normal at Gore late this afternoon. It is expected to cause heavy flooding in the Gorge road area.

The week-end’s rain, which started early on Saturday afternoon and reached its height dur-

ing Saturday night and the early houn of this morning, was the heaviest for June for some time in a number of centres. Winton’s 1.921 n for the 24 hours to 9 am. today was the highest for at least 12 years, and Invercargill’s Ls9in in a similar period was thq heaviest-for five years.