Police scour lower land for campers as floods hit South Canterbury

Press, 3 January 1980, Page 1

Police scour lower land for campers as floods hit South Canterbury

Low-lying areas of South Canterbury were scoured by i police parties last evening for c ampers and motorists stranded ' by floodwaters.

Heavy and prolonged 1 driving rain threatened campers and hut-holders in low-lying areas and beside swollen creeks and streams along the coast. Many roads were made impassable by floodwaters which spilled out of creeks and streams; hundreds of campers had to be evacuated or were forced away ' from their campsites; water flowed through business premises and houses; and stock were washed away.

The 50-knot wind gusts which . accompanied the torrential rain uprooted trees and cut services to power and telephone subscribers. ' The area bounded by, Pleasant Point, Geraldine, Orari and Temuka was worst-affected by the flooding which resulted from falls of up to 150 mm during the afternoon and evening.

’ The police mounted a large-scale amphibious j operation. Senior-Sergeant ID. T. Crowe, of the Timaru , police, said the worstaffected areas were ; Temuka, Pleasant Point, •Fairlie, and Geraldine. Several subsidiary roads, including the GeraldineFairlie highway were closed. There was consideri able surface flooding from Cave to Washdyke. ' People were evacuated from the Temuka Camping j Ground and taken to the Temuka Football Club’s ' pavilion. Others were i evacuated from around the: ; Geraldine area.

i Late last evening rivers ■ were stable or receding but \ winds had intensfied. As a precautionary measure 'about 50 people were moved from Stratheona huts and Butlers Crossing huts. I They were housed at the Pleasant Point Hall and

the Pleasant Point Motel and billeted in private homes.

Similarly, said ' SeniorSergeant Crowe, people from the Pleasant Point camping grounds had found shelter elsewhere.

Power poles were blown over in some rural areas. In Strathallan County, about 20 roads that county works staff had been able to reach were closed, and it was feared that many more that could not be reached might also be flooded. There had been a lot of scouring, the main damage being in Cave, Pleasant Point, Waitohi, and Kakahu areas.

State highway 79 from

Geraldine to Skipton was in a bad state mainly from scouring on the edge of the road and a few slips which had been cleared by graders by nightfall. The _ Washdyke-Ohau State highway was still open last evening after water rose to a depth of 20cm in . places earlier, in the day. There was surface flooding on State highway 1 at Washdyke and Orari, and areas between Orari and Ashburton. The Orari, Tengawai, and Temuka rivers were high. The South Canterbury Four-Wheel Drive Club gave considerable assistance, having positioned vehicles at Temuka, Pleasant Point, Geraldine, and

Fairlie to help in moving stranded motorists and others. A ring of water surrounded Pleasant Point, which could not. be reached other than by bus. Remote areas were being checked, and people moved to safety. The evacuation was complicated by gusty winds that toppled large trees in the Fairview and Geraldine areas.

The Mount John Observatory at Lake Tekapo reported that 15cm of snow had fallen since 2 p.m., and it was still snowing. By 9 p.m. when there was not a breath of wind at Mount Cook after show earlier in the evening, Timaru was being buffeted by high winds and rain.