KAPONGA’S EXPERIENCE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 27 March 1935, Page 6

KAPONGA’S EXPERIENCE

Town Visited by Worst Storm in Living Memory POWER DAM OVERFLOWS ROADS ARE SCOURED OUT The heavy rain wa\j responsible for considerable damage at Kaponga.

About midnight the Power Board’s big dam at Kaponga overflowed, the water rushing out through the paddocks on to the roadway, and taking a southerly course through Mr J. Taylfortli’s property adjoining, crashing through and breaking his main gate. A stream of water two feet in depth coursed its way round the Manaia Road to the town, scouring out the roadsides and filling the gutters with silt and shingle to a depth of IS inches in places. At midnight flood waters were rushing on to the roadway from behind the Kaponga dairy factory. A residence on the north side of the factory, occupied by Mr G. H. Brewer and family, was temporarily surrounded on three ] sides by "water. The "western footpath on the Upper Manaia Bond above the dairy factory has been scoured out for a distance of some 300 yards, the centre of the path being practically ruined. All along the roadsides, off the bitumen, the flood waters have swept. away tlxe blinding, leaving the bare! stones. j Approaches to garages and to other I properties have been swept clean of j blinding and at Mr J. Fary’s premises! the flood waters swirled up the traffic !• entrance at the side of his shop, tear-1 ing up the tarred footpath. Here, the' water apparently swirled along the side of the building, was deflected ; ■round the near corner, and swept under j: the building, to return to the street j once more. • '

Large quantities of water found their way into the cellar at the Dominion Hotel, while outside the Post Office at 7 a.m. to-day was a sea of mud and slush. The water ways w T ere filled with silt, which extended several inches deep over the footpath. Early this morning a staff of men undor the control of the Town Board foreman was put to work clearing out the water tables and removing heavy deposits in front of the Post- Office.; The damage to the streets is consider- j able. J A footbridge on iMr Tay If or til’s property was washed away, and an old swing bridge crossing the Kapuni River in Kuri Street is reported to bo j I demolished. j The scene at the dam this morning -was one of desolation, logs a.nd rubbish being strewn everywhere. The staff of the Town Board was engaged in an endeavour to clear the flood gates from the accumulation of debris, most of which, being under "water, made the job a difficult and arduous one. Old residents say that not within their memory has there been three major floods in such a short space of time. Had the flood waters not re- j ceded quickly, tnere is no doubt that many of the shops would have been inundated.

North Taranaki Experience Heavy storms visited .North Taranaki between S.3Q p.m. and 11 p.m. yesterday, following intermittent heavy showers during the afternoon. Service cars from Wanganui to New Plymouth had a rough passage, while theatre crowds were caught in a violent .squall which struck the town about 10.20, with high wind and driving rain. Footpaths and roads were flooded . and pedestrians were held up for some time until the storm water culverts drained away the banked water. Roads in the vicinity of Eliot Street, New Plymouth, suffered particularly severely. At 11 o’clock rain of blinding in tensity fell, forcing all motor traffic to a standstill, it being impossible to see beyond the radiator cap. Storm water flooded the channels and water covered the full width of the streets in some places. A stream six inches to -a foot deep flowed across Devon Street at the Eliot Street corner, where the footpath was invaded. At the Hover and Molesworth Street j corner road and footpath alike were ■ beneath a sheet of water, arid at Liardet Street corner a turbulent stream 1 between one and two feet deep flowed ; across Molesworth Street to cascade in j a minatur© waterfall to the railway | yards below. j In Devon Street central Brougham Street corner was awash for a few ! minutes and a miniature river poured , down .past Weston, Ball and Grayling's office, and the Royal Hotel, giving the occupiers cause for watchfulness and suggesting a blocking of the drains. With the cessation of the sudden storm, however, street flooding subsided as quickly as it had risen and no damage was done. Shipping was delayed by northerly winds rising to gale force off the const. The small coastal ship Hauturu, hound from Wanganui to Onehunga, experienced, a severe buffeting and was forced to put into New Plymouth for shelter. The .coastal vessel Alexander was five hours late, having been delayed by the same bad weather.