Big floods lash Southland again

Press, 31 October 1977, Page 6

Big floods lash Southland again

PA Invercargill Southland has been hit by floods for the second time this year. Houses have been evacuated, roads and bridges damaged, crops destroyed, and high stock losses are expected.

Flooding this week-end in the province's three main rivers — the Mataura, Oreti. and Aparima — has been the worst in most areas since 1968.

In May this year, flooding killed thousands of head of stock.

Dipton and Waikaia. two small farming communities, were last evening isolated by floodwaters, and access to many other parts of Southland was restricted by flooded roads and damaged bridges. Three Dipton families had to be moved from their flooded houses. Although river levels were dropping in the upper reaches last evening, more trouble is expected today as the peaks of the flood travel down to the sea. The Mataura River was about three metres above normal at Cattie Flat, the Aparima about three metres above normal at Otautau, and the Oreti about three metres up at Centre Bush, while its main tributary, the Makarewa, was more than four metres above normal. The chief engineer of the Southland Catchment Board (Mr N. A. McMillan) said that the Mataura flood seemed to be petering out in the lower reaches, but more

heavy flooding would occur at Taramoa, beside the Oreti River. The downpour began early on Saturday, ending seven days of weather extremes in Southland. Over Labour Day weekend the province was battered by gales of up to 70 knots. On Tuesday big areas of northern Southland farmland were covered by snowdrifts. Then, on Friday, near-record October temperatures of up to 27 degrees were recorded. The rain set in only hours later, and had not let up last evening. Stock losses would probably not be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture until this morning, said the Ministry’s regional field superintendent (Mr A. R. Rankin). Fortunately the weather was not unduly cold, but newly shorn sheep might well be in trouble if they were out in the rain. Mr Rankin said farmers had had a “reasonable amount” of warning of the floods. Damage to crops is expected to be widespread. Floodwaters have scoured

newly sown cereal crops at Garston. and other areas are bound to be affected. The Automobile Association (Southland) reported that many roads were impassable because of flooding or damaged bridges. Other roads were passable only to heavy vehicles. The heavy rain has improved water storage levels in the Southern Lakes. Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau had risen considerably, said the operations engineer of the Electricity Department (Mr W. H. Allen). Because of exceptional inflows, the Roxburgh dam and the Mararoa dams were spilling water and running at maximum output. The level of Lake Manapouri rose from 177.93 m to 178.38 m. and Lake Te Anau from 202.56 m to 203.22 m, Mr Allen said. Lake Wakatipu rose from 309.84 m to 310.2 m, and Lake Wanaka also rose. Figures for the Waitaki catchment area were not available, but Mr Allen said that Lake Pukaki was rising. In 24 hours, 233 mm (9.1 in) of rain fell at Manapouri, and 50mm (2in) was recorded near Wanaka.