River threatens Waikuku, 320 leave homes

Press, 12 August 1986, Page 1

River threatens Waikuku, 320 leave homes

About 320 Waikuku Beach residents were moved from theii 1 North Canterbury township yesterday afternoon when the Ashley River threatened to burst through a stopbank.

A Civil Defence emergency was declared at 3 p.m. North Canterbury Catchment Board staff worked through the evening to repair and strengthen the stopbank just east of State highway one. By 8 p.m. the board said it was happy with its work on the stopbank. Rain in the catchment area of the river, together with a full tide expected at 9 p.m. had not totally removed the flooding danger. The police, Army and Catchment Board staff remained by the river all night and residents were warned of the danger. South of Christchurch where the Selwyn River crosses State highway one the road was closed by flooding for most of yesterday. A detour was al-

most closed as streams carrying ruh-off from the Selwyn also flooded. The Automobile Association reported that the detour was still open at 9 p.m. last evening but it was advising people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. A family living near the Selwyn Bridge considered leaving their house about 9 p.m. but decided against it after floodwaters began to drop. j. At Temuka 52 people were registered with Civil Defence after being taken out of areas south and east of the town, threatened by the Opihi River. Waikuku Beach residents were allowed to briefly return to their homes to pack essentials needed for their night away. The first houses to be

evacuated were in Geisha Road about 50 metres south of the stopbank. A 60-metre strip of land between the riverbed and the stopbank was a raging torrent yesterday. Normally it is dry enough for picnics and caravans, according to residents.

used at Timaru also to help move Temuka residents. Residents were taken to Waikuku School where they were told at 5.30 p.m. that they would not be allowed home last night. Most left to stay with friends or relatives, but about a dozen preferred to spend the night at the school. Some residents of Waikuku Beach were clearly unwilling to leave their homes, believing the flood danger was not as great as made out by Civil Defence. Mrs Joan Willman, who has lived at the beach settlement for 15 years, said the water level seemed below previous floods. Most residents took only a change of clothes with them, although some moved furniture and electrical goods. A caravan belonging to Mr Frank Williams was overturned by water near Waikuku Beach. Mr Williams said many residents had been worried for some years that the northward drift of the river mouth would cause flooding problems. A flood control officer with the Catchment Board, Mr Tony Boyle, Said the real danger yesterday was the'stopbank further upstream, rather than the river mouth. The last to leave the

Catchment Board staff were worried the stopbank would be eroded, allowing the Ashley River to inundate Waikuku Beach township further downstream. Staff used excavators and diggers to place onetonne concrete blocks alongside the stopbank to form groynes. The board also attempted to cut a , new channel between the river and the sea. The' first efforts were frustrated by the rising tide which filled in the cuts.

Catchment Board and Civil Defence staff were assisted by the police and a platoon of the Army to evacuate Waikuku. About 150 soldiers at Burnham were on standby during the day but only a platoon of 30 was needed at Waikuku. Using Army Land-Rovers and trucks they helped residents move to higher ground and later secured the area working with, the police.

' ’ The Land-Rovers were used for mobile patrols in the area.

An Army vehicle was

beach was a local identity, Mrs Floss Howarth, who calmly made sandwiches in her home after the emergency was declared.

“I wasn’t going to risk going hungry,” she said and added that she was never one to panic. Mrs Howarth, in her 70s, insisted on driving back to her home to get organised.

The Civil Defence Commissioner for the Southern Zone, Mr Ron Pilbrough, said on-the-spot assessments would be made at both Waikuku and the Selwyn Bridge at daybreak today. The police, Fire Service and Catchment Board would meet the Civil Defence Controller to decide whether people would be allowed back into their houses, he said. Much depended on the run-off of rain falling in the hills, and river levels. Civil Defence headquarters in Rangiora, Temuka, Timaru and Christchurch were staffed overnight, keeping- a telephone link with the flood areas.

A special flood office at Christchurch Central Police Station kept a watching brief last night and expected, to hand over to the usual control shift later in the night as waters dropped. ’" ' “Things seem to be improving,” a spokesman said at 10 p.m.