A DELUGE

Grey River Argus, 7 May 1934, Page 5

A DELUGE

BANKS PENINSULA HEAVY DAMAGE Eighteen Families Evicted EXT NS.VE STOCK AND CROP LOSS (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 5. Another twenty-fours hours’ torrential rain has caused serious floods in various parts of Canterbury. The worst damage was apparently at Little River, on the road to Akaroa, where a stream running through the township, burst its banks at 1 a.m., and flooded a large area. In ;oine houses the- water rose to the flooring and began to run through the rooms. The position improved slightly by 8 o ’clock. At Ataahua. there is water in the Post Office deep enough to extinguish the fires. A dangerous situation developed at Peraki, also on Banks Peninsula, where Commander Hall’s place is threatened. There is a creek on each side of the dwelling, with light bridges only. So quickly did the water rise that it is feared that the bridges will be swept away, and the house isolated. The family got away in good time. Residents at Long Bay also spent an anxious night. The outbuildings at one farm were swept away. CHRISTCHURCH. May 5. A report from Little River stated the flood was still rising and more people were making ready to leave their homes for high land. Further small slips occurred on the road between Little River and Akaroa. Fears were entertained that a big slip would come down at Red John’s Valley, causing serious dislocation. HOMES FLOODED BRIDGES CARRIED AWAY. (11 RISTCIII RCH. Muy 5. Several homesteads in the valleys beyond Lit Bp River were complete!' cut off from all communication b; road. One family had to abandon thcii homo at 6 a.m.. as water was risin; rapidly in the house. A family named Marsh is isolate' 1 half wav up Kaituna Valley. The are known to be safe. They spent most of the night crouching on tables while water rose beneath them. Despite a buffeting, the Rangitiru arrived at 6.55, the usual time. LATEST PARTICULARS. CHRISTCHURCH, May 6. Disastrous floods occurred in thearly hours of Saturday morning the valleys and flats on the south ward slopes of Banks Peninsula, faing th ■ shores 'Of Lake Ellesmere The total fa.!l in Christchurch waabout four inches, it being the hear iest rain for four years at least, an-’ most of the heaviest rain fell in tl earlv hours of Saturday morning In the citv the damage was negli ■l''“. The Heathcote River, h“’ Ir ek by a high tide, stopped the »• fa.l] of two st.onm water drains, and *hi< led to the streets being lightly flooded.

Moorhouse Avenue and Spreyde were tin* parts most affected. W’h ”i the tide receded and thrain slackened about noon on Saturday/. ceasing altogether at four o’clock, the storm waters soon dis None of the largo rivers which ar* all snow fed, was flooded at all. and Hi«* 'other rain fed streams on the plains, while in heavy spate, did no damage. The excessive floods on this limit ed area below Banks Peninsula were caused bv a rain storm of extreme severity early on Saturday morning. Two beautiful little valleys—Price’s Valley and Kaituna Valley—were laid waste on the low/er levels by aging flo'Ods. On the hill tops an* 1 sou*hern slopes, the terrific deluge • aused a phenomenal run-iff into valleys, and little streams, wtr.cb ordinarily wind slowly to Lake Elies mere, became tierce, swift torrents, sweeping all before them. In Price’s Valley, six small bridge were either swept away, or were damaged and had their approacho:scoured out. The irjoads where th. current had passed over them wen st ipped of shingle, and were turne* into water courses. Who'o alueas of tilled land wen completely stripped of soil. Om settler lost a field of clover. Acresof potatoes were ready for digging. Not only were the potatoes washed out, but all the soil also. The Main Road to Little River runs round the baste of the hills past the mouths of these valleys. Thr road was deeply flooded yesterday and is still impassable, to-day.

The pressure of the flood waters, coursing down from the valleysabove, caused several washouts. In Little River Railway Station f in king the lake, which acted as s' stop bank, a small train was isola*ed. It passed over a culvert, ami th weight shook it in its already wen' enpd condition, and it *was promptly washed away. A few chains further the train was stopped bv a washout, so that it had to stay on its little isband. The carriages have sineh >en removed. A repair gang pate’ed th n culvert temporarily, and Dcarriages were brought cityward* but the engine still remains there. Th P whole line is coverred win debris, mostly logs and boulders, an it will not be eltear until to-morrow At Little River, a low-lying town

ship, at the head of Lake Forsyth the water rose to the level of the railway station platform before receded. On the main road throughout the township, water ran in a flv< knot current at a depth of two o? three feet. JAjveTial houses flooded, and the families had to be rescued in the early hours. T.itt’e news is yet available from the townhsip. but it is stated th.it (he damage there is severe, and that the stock losses also are serious. But for the low leveil of both La.kc I’orsyfh and Lake Ellesmere, which allowed flood •vvn.tlers • to get away, the damage would have been much more severe. On the slopes where this torren I’a.' rain fell, the land rises from th' plain fairly steeply to a height o' three thousand feet, so that the extreme precipitation of moisture caused the floods to rise with alarming suddenness. PHENOMENAL RAINS. At Molukarara, at the base of lh< hills. there was a jdienomcnal rain fall, amounting to 12 inches. Al Akaroa there was 11.43 inches, and on ihe hilltops, where no record s were available, the fall must have been even heavier. At Little River, the following fam ilies had to leave their homes: Tho of Withers, Daw-ber, Loudin, Rout, W. LeiPliwaite, J. Keenan, Brei meycr Ferris, Patterson, and Mould In Kaituna Valley, the familie who h i ( | to leave theif homes were: A. Stephens, S. Turner, T. L. Lam port, A. Mar.s-h and W. Parkinson. Two families in. -.Price’s A’alh" were compePed to leave home, those of W. R. Gray and J. R. Parrish. Tn Okute Valley, two bridges have been swept away in the western valley, also two bridges at Peraki.

fGvrmander S. Hall had to leave his home. His tennis court, garden and shrubbery were swept away. Al Te Oke, Gordon Murray had hi« cow bails and chaff house moved «om° “bains away, and lost al’. 1. : winter feed. Many of these settlers have los< stock, but it is impossible yet even tn estimate the total loss. ('’••• of calves, sheep, pigs and hens lie scattered in the valleys but the total number may not be ealnm 5 - tons. OTAGO INUNDATION 48 HOUKS’ STEADY RAIN, DUNEDIN, M»y 5. For over forty-eight hours continuous rain has been experienced it' Otago, hut practically no damage is reported. Since the rain started a' 9 30 a.m. on Thursday, nearlv three inches of rain has fallen. The onlv damage in the city is the flooding o J ‘ ’’“nch work carried out by the Drainage Board. The river at Alexander has risen three feet, and is still rising. All snorts were postponed. Fon bury Trots will be held on Tuesday.