Greymouth hit by ‘worst flood in memory’

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 1

Greymouth hit by ‘worst flood in memory’

Greymouth reporter

Torrential rain in the Greymouth area on Thursday night and again yesterday morning caused severe flooding while slips and washouts cut communications.

Several houses in Greymouth and Dunollie, about Bkm away, were evacuated. The Mayor of Greymouth (Mr O. H. Jackson) described the flooding as “the worst in memory.” The police asked people not to enter the commercial area of the town unless it was essential because of the extensive flooding. Water entered only two shops, but many other shopkeepers were unable to reach their premises because of flooding in their residential areas. Mail deliveries were cancelled for the day as postmen were unable to traverse streets.

In Grevmouth, 145.5 mm (s|in) of rain was recorded up to 9 a.m. yesterday, most of it falling in two hours from 7 a.m., and there was a further heavy downpour just before noon.

The water had dispersed in the commercial area by late afternon. The Mayor of Runanga (Mr T. J . Teasdale) described Dunollie, as a “disaster.” He said a jet boat had removed some people from their homes. He believed that more than 30 houses and several commercial premises in Dunollie and Runanga had had water through them. “Everyone is safe, but they were lucky in Herd Street at Dunollie where a slip brought down tonnes of debris between two houses,” said Mr Teasdale. North of Runanga, at Rapahoe, a slip knocked over seven telephone poles and removed a section of wire, cutting off communication with the Barrytown exchange.

Between Greymouth and Runanga, there were slips

on Stewart’s Hill, flooding around the Camp overbridge and McLean’s Creek, and at Salt .ater Creek, near Paroa on the Grevmouth-Hokitika highway.

Flooding blocked the main highway between Greymouth and Dobson at Kaiata, and a slip near Dobson scoured the Midland railway line. Buses were arranged for railcar passengers between Greymouth and Otira. The Rewanui line was closed by slips. The rain eased in midmorning, but =lips in Sawyers Creek caused it to overflow its banks, and floodwaters began entering houses in the Josephin* Street, Ida Street, Sinnott Road areas. Byron Street, which has

been affected in the past by run-off from Arnott’s Hill, and areas of Marsden Road, were also seriously affected. As the water began entering houses, the police directed jet boats into the area to remove residents. They were then brought out by Railways Road Services buses to the Army Hall and the St John Ambulance Hall.

Overloading and faults in the telephone system compounded the problems. Those who had left their homes early in the morn-

ing for work were unable to contact their homes, and those who delayed going to work were unable to reach their businesses.

Areas of Shakespeare Street had to be evacuated yesterday afternoon, one elderly woman being taken through the window of her home, and rescued by a jet boat.

Among the worst hit areas were the area from Shakespeare Street, and including Marlborough, Palmerston, Bridge, Lydia Nelson, Byron and Ida Streets and Sinnott, Marsden and Milton roads. Muritai House, the Railways hostel in Shakespeare Street, was evacuated when it was hit by a slip about midday. The slip broke windows and exten-

sively damaged the building.

A nearby house was similarly affected, its walls and floor buckling under the pressure. Water cascaded from Femhill at the back of Rochford Street, in the inner residential area, ran down Blackmore Street to Murray Street, and with water rushing down Eassons Hill joining it, poured into several houses in the Murray Street and Alexander Street area. Further south, the children’s park was completely

covered, with park seats floating about, and the water continued across the Turumaha Street bridge to give the War Memorial swimming baths an unintended depth. In the Greymouth High School, water entered at least 11 rooms, and the entrance was flooded. The school was closed, as was Greymouth Intermediate, the Marist Intermediate, St Patrick’s Primary School, St Mary’s High School and the Cobden Primary School.

Children in the Grey Main School at Joyce Crescent were unable to return home because of the flooding in the neighbourhood.

A further heavy shower near noon compounded

troubles around the Nelson Street area, and the Railways Department staff housing block from Paroa Road to High Street was surrounded. The water rose to just below window levels and many houses were flooded.

Pupils returning to their homes in the Runanga area were held up for a considerable time, when five feet of water covered the road at the camp. One vehicle was trapped in the water, and another vehicle was trapped on the McLean’s Pit Road.

By evening the flood levels had fallen in most of the residential areas affected. Some of those who had been taken to the St John Ambulance and Army halls in Gresson Street, and then taken into the homes of friends and neighbours, were able to return.

Several homes will not be habitable for some time because of the damage caused by silt Passengers on a Railways Road Service bus from Hokitika to Grevmouth, a distance of 25 miles, were on the road yesterday afternoon for about three hours. Scouring by flooding at Camerons resulted in the passengers being transferred to a Railways jigger, and carried a short distance to the other side of the water where they joined a bus sent from Greymouth. The rain was very localised, and Hokitika escaped the flooding, while Reefton, inland, had virtually no rain.

Although conditions were threatening in the Westport area and some rain had fallen in the country, the Buller until later yesterday had escaped the heavy downpour.