West Coast recovering after second flood

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32406, 19 September 1970, Page 1

West Coast recovering after second flood

(From O&r Own Reporter) WESTPORT, September 18.

Compared with the flooding of August 31, much less damage was caused to Buller roads and rail routes by the flood yesterday. All services were running almost at normal today after disruptions yesterday.

Repairs were necessary on the approaches to the new Bailey bridge over the Ohikanui River, seven miles from Westport. Light road traffic used the higher bridge but the complete Lower Buller Gorge route was open this evening for all traffic.

However, some paches in the upper gorge are slushy. No stock losses were reported in the district and there was not much evidence of silting but yesterday many acres were still submerged in the Orowaiti area. NO MACHINES A lack of large earthmoving machinery has caused a problem for the Westland Catchment Board, which is faced with repairing protection works breached by two flooded rivers on Thursday. At Greymouth, the chief engineer of the board (Mr H. E. Clarke) said that the damage throughout the district was a result of weakening caused by the floods last month. The board was unable to obtain the machinery it required from either the Ministry of Works or the Railways Department as they needed it for their own repair work. After the flood on August

31, a big groyne at Atarau was damaged. The latest flood washed shingle away and the board now had to replace at least 12,000 yards of rock and filling. In South Westland the Harihari flat protection scheme stopbank was breached for about eight chains and a big flow of water had inundated farmland. More damage near the Perseverance bridge in Inangahua was also causing concern. “The situation there has deteriorated pretty badly,” said Mr Clarke. OTAGO WARNING The Press Association reports that the Clutha River

in Otago is Bft above its normal level for this time of the year and that farmers have been warned to move stock fmm th* riv«*r’c hanlrc

Heavy rain within the next four or five days could cause serious flooding in Otago, the assistant chief engineer of the Otago Catchment Board (Mr H. Semke) said today. ROADS CLOSED Access to the high country of the Ashburton County had been disrupted by flooding and washouts in the Ashburton Gorge and near the upper Rakaia River, said the county engineer (Mr D. G. Thomson) today. The access road to Erewhon station at the head of the Rangitata River, and to Lake Heron, has been blocked by river erosion at Freezing Point, above Mount Possession station. The road is not expected to be repaired for vehicle access until about noon tomorrow.

The approach to the Mount Possession bridge is also washed out. The Double Hill runs road in the upper Rakaia Gorge is unlikely to be opened until Tuesday. There was 4ft of water over the road below Black Hill today, and the Black Hill cutting is blocked. Twenty-five inches of rain had fallen at Erewhon station in the last 21 days, Mr A. A. Urquhart, owner of the station, reported yesterday.