HEAVY RAINFALL

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 242, 9 July 1931, Page 11

HEAVY RAINFALL

Some Minor Flooding HUTT RIVER RISES Slips in Taita Gorge Yesterday’s heavy and continuous rain in the city and suburban area caused a rapid rise in the waters of the Hutt River. Portions of the Manor Park and Shandon golf links became covered with water, and several acres of farm land in Stokes Valley were also submerged, due to the backing up of the waters of smaller streams. A number of slips occurred in the Taita Gorge—some seven or eight altogether—but only two of them were of any size. Water was flowing over the .main Highway in the vicinity of Silverstream bridge. Quite a depth of .water invaded the street in the vicinity of the Petone Police Station, and pedestrians found some difficulty in getting about. At the Cuba Street end of Jackson Street the water ran over the footpaths. So heavy was the rainfall that the hillsides along the Hutt Road between the city and Petone cascaded countless miniature waterfalls, which at many points ran over the bitumen. No ’serious damage has been reported.

Road Temporarily Blocked. The tw’o larger slips in the Taita Gorge blocked the road for a space. One was opposite the middle of the scour which Public Works men are repairing, and the other close to the railway bridge which crosses the road at Silverstream. As no Hutt county men were sent along to clear the slips, the Public Works men, who were unable to continue with repairing the scour, set about removing the spoil. They had done so well that by nightfall the road was made dear for nearly its full width. As the road is so narrow at the scour the greatest care has to be exercised by motorists. One driver, however, came' dashing along regardless of warnings and knocked over a wheelbarrow which was being filled by the meh. His number was taken. The other slips were not of sufficient size to cause any inconvenience to the users of the road, but there were not wanting signs that more earth is to come away yet. In Stokes Valley water was flowing fast across the road in several places. Water in Petone. In Jackson Street, Petone, at the Cuba Street end, people had to gain entrance to Shops on planks put down from the doorways. There was also flooding in Regent Street and Riddler’s Crescent. So far as the flooding of the Hutt Road was concerned, the surface water soon ran away after men with long -handled shovels and thigh gumboots, had cleaned out the stormwater channels. A small ship was reported on the Koro Koro Hill road. Petone council men are also standing by the reservoir situated at Koro Koro, in case it should be found necessary to let out some of the water. There was surprisingly little stormwater lying about in the Moera Settlement, the drains there appearing to function excellently.

PORIRUA AFFECTED Water on HighwayWater rose over the main highway at Porirua yesterday, but the flooding.did not interfere with traffic. The water began to fall at 5 p.m.

RIVERS IN FLOOD Wairarapa Conditions CONTINUAL RAINSTORMS Dominion Special Service. • - Masterton, July 8. As the result of heavy rain to-day WaU rarapa rivers are in flood to-night, and there is over two feet of water over the main Wellington-Masterton road at the Waiohine bridge. The road is not absolutely impassable, but several motorists after about eight o’clock, when the service cars came through, preferred to turn back rather than face the swiftly-running water in the rain and darkness. Most ol the water in this area is from the tributary Maungatariri, which is in high flood. 1 The Waiohine itself is only'in moderate flood, otherwise, the position would have been more serious. The low-lying country to the north of the Waiohine bridge is under water to a depth ranging from eighteen inches to four feet. Pirinoa settlers reported late to-night that the Ruamahunga had shown no movement all day. but they are preparing for a flood to-morrow, although a large one is not. anticipated. The Waingawa is running high, but no serious flooding is reported. Conditions in the Wairarapa are most unpleasant. All dav there has been little wind, but the weather has been bitterly cold with continual showers of rain.

The rainfall nt blasterton was so heavy that in places the stormwater channels were unable to cope with the water.