Family shelters in fowlhouse

Press, 28 January 1986, Page 3

Family shelters in fowlhouse

Nelson reporter

While the rain pelted down and a huge slip rumbled past their home a Maitai Valley family spent an uncomfortable time in their fowlhouse on Saturday night. This terrifying situation, in all but total darkness, was the experience of Mike and Birgit Crawford and their son Julian, aged two.

The family was asleep at 11 p.m. secure in the knowledge that their home in the bush was well above the reach of the raging waters of the Maitai River below them.

Then, there was "a rumbling like an earthquake” said Mrs Crawford yesterday. The pair grabbed an unconcerned Julian and with the aid of a torch went uphill to a sleepout — but the sleepout was almost on top of the slip area. After mud splattered the windows they hurriedly moved to the family fowlhouse. There they huddled for a while as the slip continued to move downhill before they moved next door to the Rominger family. * Although Mr Crawford was reluctant to talk about the slip, others in the valley were not so hesitant. They blame it on a Forest Service- road high up the hill which they say was built about three years ago on insecure ground. A large part of the area from the road slipped and it is believed water from the little creek flowing past the Crawford home built up and created a further slip. The slip fell into the Maitai River and created its own dam pushing the swollen water up to and over the road. It also knocked out the fresh water system used by about 12 houses. The system was fed from the creek flowing past the Crawford home. Mr Crawford said his big worry now was that the riverbed had built up to such a high level that his home was in danger from flood waters should there be further trouble. There was now only about a two-metre clearance for the footbridge.

Of concern to the Nelson City Council is the possibility of serious dam-

age to the Maitai dam under construction. The flood waters scoured fill right down to the drainage blanket in two areas close to the river diversion tunnel. The City Engineer, Mr Mac Crampton, believes the flooding will set back work on the dam at least a week and a lot of fill will have to be excavated to a " depth where the drainage blanket can be replaced. The “blanket” is a layer of gravel covered by a filter fabric.

Repairs were being done at the dam yesterday. Estimates of damage throughout the region range up to $1 million. Much of this is associated with roading, especially in the Waimea County. The police again searched unsuccessfully for Stephen Patrick Chant, aged 16, who was swept down the Maitai River on a rubber tube on Saturday.