FLOODS FEARED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1130, 18 May 1911, Page 5

FLOODS FEARED.

rORRENTIAL RAINS IN GISBORNE DISTRICT.

GLOOMY OUTLOOK.

(By TelcEraph.-I'ress Association.!

Gisborne, May 17. Just over a year ago Gisborne and tho lurrounding district suffered severely from ■ai-taost disastrous fiood ever experienced on kis nortion of the East Coast, and to-night "there is, unfortunately, every ptosp«t of a repetition ot the catas-. has-' been falling steadily since early yesterday without intermission, ami at times with torrential force, with the result that the creeks and rivers are in .a stato of high' fiood. Tho Wwtoa River is tho one which threatens danger to tho Poverty Bay flats, ond at the danger point, Waerengaahika, where it burst its' bauks last year, tho river is within six feet of the top of the bank, and. is rising rapidly. ' ' " ' , Settlers on flats, warned by last year s experiences, when stock was lost in great numbora, are .engaged in moving their stock to the back paddocks out of the teach of the flood waters. Tho rain shows no signs of abating, and the outlook' to-night is indeed gloomy. It is almost' certain if the rain, does not stop in;the next few hours, that dire consequences will result. Much uneasiness is felt by settlors ana lowjispeople alike, who fear the river may break over before- midnight, as about 11 o'clock the tide .will'be full,' and tho "Waipoa is a tidal river. It is not oxpected, however, that much loss of stock will result, but otherwise the damage by flood is expected to be considerable.

In Gisborno itself the streets are running, .with water.like mill-races, and many of the lower-lying portions ard inundated. JTuch damage has been dono to the sewerage .works in coitrss of construction. Tha rain has been, accompanied by a heavy south-easterly gate, and tremendous seas are reported from all along the coast. The -Victoria, from Auckland, which passed the East Cape at 1.30 p.m., had not put in an appearance at 9.30 p.m., and it is thought probable she has either pnt to sea for the night or, considering this port unworkable, has gone on to Napier.