MIDNIGHT FLOOD DRAMA.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 June 1936, Page 8

MIDNIGHT FLOOD DRAMA.

TOUCH AND GO IN FIGHT AGAINST RIVER. Quite a little flood drama was enacted in the lower Makerua on Wednesday night when a gang of men, including neighbouring settlers -whose farm lands were threatened, toiled unceasingly in an endeavour to prevent the 15-foot torrent that was sweeping down the Manawatu river from breaking through an eroded portion of the stopbank at Coley’s bend. Their efforts were, fortunately, successful in that, while they did not prevent the bank from giving way, they had held the water in check sufficiently long, that when it linally flowed through the peak of the flood had passed and the loop stopbank recently built around the weak outer portion, was able to hold the deluge. It was an anxious moment when the eroded outer stopbank gave way about midnight and the hollow between the two banks rapidly filled. Higher and higher rose the flood till it was within a

foot of the top of the hcav nans, 'men the safety margin dAvindled to inches and at one point, a little lower than the rest, the Avater began to trickle over. Bags filled Avith earth Averc rushed to the spot and the Aoav checked. Expressions of relief came Avhen it Avas realised that the river had fallen just sufficiently for the hcav bank to stem the flood. But it was touch and go. But for the sand-bagging efforts of the afternoon and evening when the river was at its height, undoubtedly thousands of acres Avould have been inundated and hundreds of pounds in losses occasioned. The first to suffer Avould have been Mr. D. A. Ooloy whose farm adjoins the river where it sweeps around in a hairpin bend. The stopbank is some ten or 12 feet high so it is not very hard to imagine hoAV deep the land Avould have been covered with water. When the bank gave Avay he immediately took steps to remove some of his more valuable assets and was relieved to see that his experience was to be nothing 1 more than an anxious night. He told a reporter yesterday that it Avas 5 a.m. before he felt that the danger had actually passed.

The flood has not been without its humorous side. Many settlers in the Opiki area had anxious eyes cast in the direction of the lower Makcrua and when daylight dawned yesterday morning, aw r ay in the distance could be seen a sheet of whiteness with cows standing waist-high in the midst of it. A cry of floods went quickly round but further investigation revealed that the visitation was nothing worse than a low-lying fog. It was unfortunate for settlors along Hamilton’s line that the stopbank being erected there had not been completed. There was only a gap of a few chains left when the flood came down and poured through. Mr. H. N. McEwen had practically the whole of his 200-acre farm covered for a short period on Wednesday evening but a great deal had disappeared by morning. Motorists had difficulty in negotiating the main highway in the vicinity and several had to push cars out. Mr. J. Mabey, of Campbell’s road, Opiki, was one of the unfortunates. He had to abandon his half-ton truck on Wednesday afternoon and leave it to the mercy of the flood waters. It was in the vicinity of the Half Crown bend, near Tiakitahuna, that the water started to lap over the running boards and gradually covered the floor of the truck. Mr. Mabey returned to Palmerston North prior to setting out for the high

and dry lands of Opiki. One farmer in Opui road, Opiki, had to swim several head of cattle to the safety of the flood protection banks, while he himself was fortunate to escape a ducking in the fast-fillmg excavations. Another, further down still, neglected to close a drain leading to the river and on Wednesday morning had to' do the usual milking operations in some two feet of water. Through it all, the supporters of the Opiki-Makerua highway will be pleased to learn that this route was not affected in any way by flood waters. Farmers on Opui road have many acres under water outside the flood protection banks. On Wednesday afternoon people crowded the banks to watch the sea of swirling foam-tossed waters. Huge trees and stumps were bobbing up and down like corks as they were borne swiftly down in the current. A considerable area of the Mukupai estate at Tokoraaru was flooded as a result of water getting through the tinfinished portion of the new floodgate.