POVERTY BAY RAINS

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 February 1932, Page 2

POVERTY BAY RAINS

HEAVY FLOODS CAUSED[PEE pbebb association.] GISBORNE, February 14. Following on drought conditions extending over the past three months, very heavy and continuous rain, during the past few days culminated during the week-end in disastrous floods on the Poverty Bay flats, these being considered worst floods for at least fifteen years. A considerable loss of stock is considered certain, but an estimate is impossible Until the water subsides- Many large maize crops have been ruined, also v grass and seed and other productsThe land in parts is covered by up to seven feet of water. Patutahi township is completely cut off, and many of its residents were forced to leave their hoihes early to-day, owing to the water finding its way into their houses. In one instance, seven children and their parents were rescued by a boat- The Whatutu and Makauri districts were in a similar plight- At Kaiteratahi, residents were compelled to leave their homes and to seek shelter in the upper storey of the old freezing works there.

Communication from the south has been cut off neai- Ormond, six miles from Gisborne, there being five feet of water over the main road at two points where the Waipaoa River broke through its banks, and the stream made a wide semi-circle to rejoin the main river two miles lower down. The main traffic on it is barred- Practically all of the rivers and streams in the district overflowed their banks last night, and riparian residents almost invariably suffered loss. A great quantity of driftwood is coming down the rivers, and the Waikanae Bfeach is covered several feet deep. Wash-outs have occurred at several points on the coast roads, barring all traffic, while streams on the main north route are swollen with similar results.

The waters were falling this afternoon in parts of the district, but the rain continues and anxiety is felt regarding the result when the incoming .tide to-night backs up the flooded rivers. A MAORI DROWNED. GISBORNE, February 15. Tekaraka experienced the heaviest rainfall ever recorded, 695 points falling in the twenty-four hours ended nine o’clock yesterday, the streams reached the highest known levelsThe biidge on the Kanakanaia road costing £l5OO collapsed under the weight of dieven feet of water, and was completely destroyed- A suspension bridge costing £9OO, was also wrecked. Other rainfall records include Waimata 21.17 in seven days, IQ inches in 24 hours, Waihoika 12.75 in five days, Gisborne has had 9.50 in a week, the 4.74 in the last 4S hours.

A half caste maori, Alfred Banks, 35, Port Awanui, married, with seven or eight children was drowned yesterday in the Waiapu river, East Coast, which is in heavy floodThe Turf Club races were further postponed until to-morrow.

storm at Sydney. SYDNEY, February 14. A severe thundersfotm s’frept Sydney city and environs shortly after mid-day to-day. Lightning struck a Mosman house and destroyed the atticThere was a violent wind which in a few minutes did much damage in the farming districts. MELBOURNE, February 14. This city suffered a similar visitation by stormy conditions to that of Sydney, earlier in the day. There was lightning with the rain, doing some damage. SNOWSTORMS IN BRITAINRUGBY, February 12. Frost, with further falls of snow, light in London, but heavier in the North and West continues throughout Great Britain. All the Channel boat services this morning were running as usual, between Folkstone and Boulogne, Dover and Calais, and Dover and Ostend. COLD IN KLONDYKE. NEW YORK, February 13. Dawson City wasi the coldest place in North America on Friday, with a temperature of fifty-eight degrees below zero.