FLOODS IN SOUTHLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 February 1937, Page 2

FLOODS IN SOUTHLAND

HEAVY DAMAGE REPORTED [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] INVERCARGILL, February 26. The most serious damage to country roads and bridges for 20 yeais has been done by heavy floods in Southland this week. Although the flood waters everywhere were receding to-day, the flooded areas are not 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 may 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 the floods of this week comes from the cumulative effect of minor damage almost everywhere, rather than from any particularly heavy damage in one district. It will take weeks of work to bring the roads back to their state before the flood. The flood waters at Wyndham rapidly receded to-day. 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 exceptionally bad for haymaking and harvesting, rain having held up all farm work for weeks.

NELSON DISTRICT NELSON, February 26. Serious flooding, which has disorganised traffic and which will cause loss to farmers and tobacco growers, has occurred in the Motueka and Riwaka districts after heavy rain. The rain had almost ceased at Motueka early this afternoon and the weather seemed to b'e clearing, though Tain appeared to be still falling in the back country. The flooding has been the most extensive for eight years. No estimate of the damage in the tobacco gardens, is possible, yet these areas are suffering most because of their proximity to the rivers, where the soil is suitable for the plants. • River water early this afternoon invaded the bottom of Poole street, but the actual business centre of Motueka was not flooded. The Motueka river broke its banks at Umukuri, flooding the land in several properties to a depth of about four feet in places. One grower had 17 acres of hops and tobacco under water. In some cases the fires in tobacco kilns were extinguished by the water, and movable objects were carried about. ' ! The water subsided at the Jubilee bridge this evening, allowing traffic through from the Nelson side, but the Riwaka river still cuts off cars from Takaka waiting on the other side of the bridge. The Motueka river is still high. .