HEAVY RAIN

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 7, 3 October 1941, Page 8

HEAVY RAIN

Steady Downpour In Wellington FLOODING AND SLIPS Rain fell in Wellington practicilly without a break yesterday. The northerly storm which broke on Wednesday was accompanied by heavy winds, but these died down early yesterday morning. Two spells of very steady rain were recorded at Kelburn. The first was between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. when approximately an inch of rain fell and the second between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. when a total of I.Bin. was recorded. The total for the >24 hours ended 9 a.m. yesterday was 1.68 in. The October total for two days approached the 3Hn. mark, and. so promises to pass the October average of 3.62 in. Already Wellington is seven inches ahead of its average annual rainfall —42.91 in.

When yesterday’s downpour was at its heaviest, slightly more than half an inch of rain fell within an hour. Such an intense fall is experienced at Kelburn only about twice a year, an official said yesterday. The heaviest fall recorded at Kelburn over a short period was on March 17, 1935, when .27in. fell in two minutes, and on the same date .56in. in ten minutes. Brought by north-westerly weather, the conditions were practically confined to the Wellington and nearby areas, and it was stated that not much immediate improvement could be expected. The Manawatu and Wairarapa districts were reported to be comparatively clear of the weather, which had settled on Wellington, where torrents developed down thillsides and water spouted off the heights above Eastbourne in miniature waterfalls. It was indicated that more slips might be expected as water seepage made its effects apparent on road slopes and batters. Damage In City.

The city engineer’s department had more than a 100 storm problems to deal with yesterday afternoon, and more trouble occurred at night. Many slips occurred on private property. In Island Bay, flooding occurred in Dee Street and the Parade, water coming from the golf links and over Wakefield Park. Some flooding was also reported in Endeavour Street, Lyall Bay. A stormwater drain in Oban Street, Wadestown, collapsed, and a-l Oft. hole had to be . roped off. A large slip occurred at the bottom of Tiuakori Road where it runs on to the Hutt Road, but traffic was able to get through. An old concrete wall on Wellington Terrace, near the old Terrace jail, collapsed, blocking the road. A house in Wilton Road was almostly completely undermined. „ , Burnell Avenue, off Park Street, had its entrance blocked by mud and rubble swept down from Grant Road. It was barred to traffic last night by a set of red lamps across the entrance, the street being a blind one. Tlie mud and rubble was carried as far as the corner of Tinakori Road and Park Street, where it lay thick across the road. The drains there were flooded and negotiation of the street awkward for pedestrians. „ , The Happy Valley Road was severely damaged by the flooding of the stream and the bridge leading to the school was damaged. Seeing that the bridge was becoming unsafe, the headmaster dismissed the children and saw them to safety. Houses in the locality were affected by the torrents from the hillsides. . Severe slips blocked Mortimer Terrace, Brooklyn, at both ends and the top of Aro Street was more than once under water. Alarmed householders sent two calls to the police for help, but in neither case was help actually needed. A slip behind 104 Oriental Parade blocked a door and a neighbour telephoned the police saying that the occupants might become trapped, but a constable who investigated reported that the slip was not dangerous. A constable was sent also to Ngahauranga where some people were reported to be marooned in their homes, buf when he got there he found that, though there was a great amount of water about, his assistance was not required. Trouble At Karori.

The flooding of the main Karori stream caused water to enter streets and properties in Karori and two houses at the tram terminus had to lie evacuated. Residents were alarmed by the rapid rise of the water from Parkvale Road to Karori Park and some people were marooned for a time in their houses or unable to return to them without wading through fairly deep water. Ranelagb, Tringham, Marshall and Jack streets were badly flooded and also t,he area at the tram terminus at the foot of the Makars Hill Road. The homes of Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Kells, 426 Karori Road, Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Thwaites. next door and a residence to the rear occupied by Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Newman were flooded. Though some of the culverts at Ka rori were duplicated after the flood ing which occurred during a seve.’e storm in December, 1939, and they relieved the position to a certain extent, the volume of-waterwas

even the two culverts were unable to prevent a repetition of the 1939 flooding. Late last night, the South Karori Road was reported washed away. Worst In Years. The storm had caused some of the worst damage in Wellington for many years, said the city’ engineer, Mr. K. E. Luke, and practically all the main traffic and vehicular routes in the suburban areas had been subjected to slipping. The'major slips had come down in Brooklyn Road, Crawford Road, Wadestown Road and the Hutt Road. There were hundreds of slips all over Wellington, some being quite extensive. Their removal presented a real problem to the engineer’s department of the city council, because its staff, seriously depleted as a result of the war, was still busy clearing up the extraordinary slip damage caused by the unprecedentedly heavy rains of August and September. Reports to hand yesterday afternoon showed that the main rainfall had been in the Onslow, Kaiwarra and Karori areas and it would be many months beif ore - the'. damage .could be cleared. up.