Violent Storm Causes Damage At Wellington

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30015, 27 December 1962, Page 8

Violent Storm Causes Damage At Wellington

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 26. A violent storm hammered Wellington today, damaging factories, houses and roads.

Freak winds and rain caused chaos in shipping and air services, plucked out a 50-yard sea wall at Te Aro baths, Oriental Bay, and beached a big launch at Island Bay.

Wind gusts reached 65 miles an hour at Wellington, while at Paraparaumu, about 35 miles away, campers bedded down after an afternoon in the sun.

The hardest-hit housing areas were Johnsonville and Newlands. At least three houses were evacuated. Homes at Petone and Wai-nui-o-mata were also flooded. Hundreds were left stranded when the second night trip to Picton of the Aramoana was cancelled. The Maori left for Lyttelton nearly five minutes late. As the Maori battled strong southeries in Cook Strait tonight, the vessel’s master advised “strong southeries moderating. Behaving well." The Aramoana on her first voyage was due at 5.40 p.m. but berthed at 8.5 p.m. It will sail at 10 a.m. tomorrow if the weather clears. Wellington airport operated marginally for only a few hours. Flights were diverted to Paraparaumu and Palmerston North, but the National Airways Corporation intended making scheduled flights well into the night. Paraparaumu closed at 8.45 p.m. Passengers to and from Palmerston North were sent by road.

Flooding on the Hutt roat reduced traffic to one lane at stages this afternoon, and south-bound motorway traffic was disrupted for periods. Vehicles were left abandoned on both roads after water in ignitions stopped engines. The Johnsonville-Makara road is closed by slips. Water dragged tons of rubble from the Maungaraki subdivision at Lower Hutt through the Percy scenic reserve. Boulders were deposited across the junction of the Western Hutt road and Dowse road. Water penetrated the kitchen of the Empire Hotel, Wainui-o-mata, wrecked

dozens of gardens and covered the Morse Valley roat at the Holmdale shoppinf area. *> Water crept into severa shops in Johnsonville road. Rail and toll services wer< not affected.