HEAVY STORM

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 December 1924, Page 5

HEAVY STORM

OVER WIDE AREA

MUCH DAMAGE DONE

SHOPKEEPERS LOSE HEAVILY

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. MASTERTON, Dec. 19. Last night the Lansdowne dam burst, and the water flooded a number of houses in the locality, sweeping outhouses, etc., away, and, doing much damage. The marvel is that houses in the locality were not washed away by the water. The rain has now ceased, uuc portions of the town are still under water. damage is being done by flood water in a number of shops. :

MASTERTON, Dec. 19. Following 36 hours’ incessant rain the low-lying portions of the town are flooded. .. Shops on the lower side of the main street are swamped in a foot of water, and late this evening there was no sign of the-water subsiding. The district was visited with a severe thunder-storm and electrical activity, which added to the inconvenience by disjointing the electric service, the town being thrown into complete darkness. Though the rain was not abnormally heavy, it has not ceased for a moment in the last 36 hours. The rain continued throughout tho night, at, midnight falling heavier than at any period during the day .'Five" inches have been recorded since 9 a. nr. Slips are reported on several arterial roads. The Rimutaka Hill road has been washed out for a hundred yards near the Featherston side. The road, it is believed, will be closed for a week. Considerable traffic'from Wellington had to-return on this acoimt. The Horarau stream, from where Wnirarapa’s power is derived, rose to an enormous height and washed out a bank at the side, of the power house. The cause of the failure of the lielvl. was due to the machinery being submerged four feet in water. Tt it understood that it will not be in action again for two days.

CHRISTMAS GOODS DAMAGED. WANGANUI, Dec. ,19. . A phenomenal downpour about six o’clock this evening caused considerable damage to a number of business places, which ; were deluged greatly to the detriment of Christmas stocks. In one leading drapery establishment the damage is estimated at some hundreds of . pounds. The sewers were unable to cope with the storm water, with the result that the streets resembled lakes. TELEGRAPH LINES AFFECTED. The gale and rain, which were fully felt, in Hawera. had a bad effect upon the telegraph lines, and Hawera lost Wanganui for -ai'time this morning, while the department reported that leaky wires were making communication northward difficult. However, the superintendent said that he hoped that the lines would soon be restored, but a certain amount of- delay 'would be unavoidable. The telephone lines were reported to be working fairly " well on the whole.