STORMS IN THE SOUTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 104, 29 October 1940, Page 13

STORMS IN THE SOUTH

HIGHWAYS SUFFER

DELUGE IN LAKES DISTRICT

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, October 28

Widespread damage and inconvenience have been caused in Central Otago by torrential rain in the back country of the Southern Lakes district on Saturday. Highways were impassable, creeks became swirling torrents, and the Molyneux rose 24 feet above normal in the narrow gorges round Cromwell. The river fell quickly, however, after reaching a peak, and danger of a serious flood in the Lower Clutha district is. past, though it was still raining at Cromwell late tonight. The rain in the back country was phenomenal. Seldom has the Molyneux come down in such a big flood through rain; the usual cause is quickmelting snow. Farmers were warned to take all necessary precautions for the safety of stock, but the water, piled Higfr as it was jn the gorges, §pon spread put jp the. valleys, below, and by the time Balcliitha was reached the peak was only six feet above normal. There was no danger of its overflowing its banks and flooding low-lying farms.

The swollen rivers and creeks played havoc with highways and . roads .throughout the lakes district. Wanaka, which attracted large numbers of holidaymakers for the weekend, was completely isolated for a period and it will probably be a day or two before proper connection has been restored. Today all roads to Wanaka were impassable.

j One of the worst washouts occurred on the Cardrona River, near Albert Town, where a bridge was ' carried away, and at Farm . Creek, on the "Wanaka-Hawea Flat Road, a flooded creek made the highway impassable.

.. Serious slips occurred on the Dun-edin-Queenstown highwy in the Kawarau Gorge, and gangs of Public •Works men were busy today clearing the road and making it passable for traffic. Minor slips occurred in the Cromwell Gorge.

Gales that swept many parts of Central Otago during the weekend also caused widespread damage, and in the Clyde and Roxburgh districts brought with them heavy rain. In most" districts the rain was badly needed, but farmers and orchardists would have prefererd a much lighter fall and one that was not accompanied by high winds. Orchards and crops at various places and shelter trees, outhouses, verandahs, and fences suffered

. An idea of the quantity of rain that fell during the weekend is to be gained from the fact that 3.68 inches were recorded in Queenstown, where power #nd water supplies were cut off for a period as a result of the flooding. The rain was much heavier further back in the hills, and reports late tonight stated that it was still raining fairly steadily.