Hawke’s Bay cleans up after floods

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33563, 18 June 1974, Page 3

Hawke’s Bay cleans up after floods

(A-cif Zealand Press Association» HASTINGS, June 17. Schools were closed, householders in low-lying areas were sweeping silt and mud from their homes, and parts of the coastal townships of Te Awanga and Haumoana were awash today as Hawke’s Bay began the big task of clearing up after I yesterday’s flood and storm.

I The Minister of Civil > Defence (Mr McGuigan)! land a representative ofi . the Earthquake and ! War Damage Commission visited the worst [affected areas in the this morning. ! It may be some time be-: fore an accurate estimate ofi damage is possible. Mr McGuigan, who donned (thigh waders and a heavy [oilskin to visit homes in [Hastings, said the inspection ■was to see what the problems were, to discuss how they had arisen, and to help, in overcoming and prevent-!

| ing a recurrence. Y i He said he had already in-li Istructed the commission to! [take immediate action on any . {claims. He had been impressed by the work of local authorities and their staff, and civil defence organisations. • Deep water still covered 'many streets in Napier this [morning. Some schools were | closed after the week-end’s !6|in rainfall. Water in the worst affected areas dropped several inches overnight and teams of workers were shifting furniture and lifting sodden I carpets. ROADS CLOSED Snow kept main central North Island highways closed [today — and the only road [open in the area is treacher-! I OUS. The Automobile Association's area officer (Mr K. J.f (Mackenzie) said snow was falling on the Desert and' (Napier-Taupo Roads and they (would not be opened until at least tomorrow. State! Highway 1 traffic was di-1 verted on to Highway 47 at; Rangipo Prison and back on! ' to the main highway at] 1 Waiouru. I • Some residents in outlying • Gisborne-East Coast areas ! have been isolated by slips '■ and minor flooding. • MAN’S DEATH A man died when he reI entered his flooded house to • rescue his cat and budgie at i Clifton Beach, Hastings, yes- ■ terday morning. It is bet lieved that he suffered a, ! seizure. Rescuers using high . I vehicles eventually reached • his home. They found him; (dead on the. bed with the!

■ cat he was trying to rescue [cuddled close to him. He was Mr R. F. Montague. aged 62, a retired Napier land agent, who was the Cape Kidnappers gannet sanctuary ranger. SCOUTS TRAPPED

Flash floods trapped seven scouts in a cave near Hamilton on Saturday. Water up to 7ft deep filled the tunnels of the caves where the party was exploring.

The scouts were well into the caves when the party leader. Mr R. Ridgway, realised the water was rising irapidly. In an attempt to reach the dry upper level of the caves where they could crawl to safety, the scouts were forced to swim across a 50ft [river, hundreds of feet underground. [ The scouts were on a two[day caving trip to the Whaitawata Caves. They returned [to the dry caves yesterday[after the water subsided. ' ;