KARAMEA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 15 October 1936, Page 7

KARAMEA NOTES

Flood Damage (Our Own Correspondent.) The heavy floods which have been reported from apt! over 'the Island, early .on Saturday, did not leave Karamea unscathed. Rain poured continuously during the day on Friday, and on Saturday morning, at 3 o 'clock, the flood 'was at its highest, reaching a 'level in the country hitherto unknown. The river rose gradually during tho day on Friday, and at dusk it looked like being a re a,! “Old man’’ flood, although everyone thought that with tho outgoing tide the water would recede; but at midnight, telephones were going al top. The thanks of the Karamea settlement are due to Mr Bradley (Post master) and his assistant, Air R. Mussen, who stood to their posts long after midnight, gvvi.ng flood warnings. They stood in ice,-cold water for hours a s there was a foot of water in the Po<t Office. The river rose rapidly between 2 and 3 a.m, and then took a turn, receding as fast as it rose. There have bejen heavy looses in stock. Among the heaviest losers are Afessrs Turk (about 50 sheep and lambs), Basil AleNabb (8 cows), and W. Gourley (about 50 pigs). Carcases are lying about awaiting burial During the earlier par-t of Friday eve.ning, a, young man, named James Duncan, was struck by lightning, and was taken to the Buller Hospital. With the exception of Airs Kirby’s residence, the flood was. in all of the houses in Karamea, the depth ran”ng from 2 inches upwards. At Mr W. Ray’s (whose occupants vacated earlier in the evening) the flood -water reached 2 feet 2 inches. The lower levels are well siltcifl up, but it will eventually do the land good. The famous Konini Creek an the Karamea-Westport road was blocked for a time, but is again open. KaraitiPfi is now one of the» busiest places in New Zea'and v as it necessitates an early compulsory spring cleaning. Roads suffered severely, and half a chain of Hutchie f -, Filling at. Ar.apitn has gone west. Reveal acres of land near the sea, belonging to Afessrs T. McNabb. T. Richardson, and F. Dean, were swept, out "to sea. Several hundreds of pounds of damage was done nt thq butter factory tt, stores, etn Tho total damage in the distract is roughly £l5OO. Work has begun on the quarry line, and the plate-layers are busy re’aying rails in place of thq-'e sol'd l>y th l ' past Government. Wo will soon see the harbour improvement work we’l in hand, and our boat trading ngn: to the port of Karamea,