SERIOUS DAMAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 10

SERIOUS DAMAGE

SOUTHLAND FLOODS

ROADS AND BRIDGES SUFFER

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

INVERCARGILL, February 26.

The most serious damage to country roads and bridges for 20 years has been done by the heavy floods in Southland this week. Although the flood waters everywhere . were receding today, the flood area was riot 'sufficiently cleared for an estimate to be made of the cost of repairing the damage. It is known that the cost will be heavy, and it is possible that an application for a Government grant will be made by the Southland County Council, which is suddenly faced with the expenditure of thousands of pounds on repairing many roads and bridges that a few days ago were in good order

The seriousness of the damage by floods this week comes from the cumulative effect of minor damage almost everywhere rather than from any particularly heavy damage in one district. It takes weeks of work to bring roads back to. the state they were in before a flood. ,

T):e flood waters at Wyndham rapidly receded today. No losses of stock have been reported in the district, but many farmers are heavy losers because of the effect of the flood on their crops.' In "addition, they are faced with the loss of winter feed, cut and stacked hay having been washed away from many properties. Even, without this week's floods, which came as an unwelcome climax, the season has: : been an exceptionally bad one for hay-making and harvesting. Persistent rain has held up all farm work for weeks.