TORRENTIAL RAIN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 118, 18 April 1938, Page 2

TORRENTIAL RAIN.

FLOODS IN TARANAKI. Per Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, April 16. There are slips on almost every road and on the railway line; bridges have been washed away and washouts have been caused by the most serious floods for years in the East Taranaki. They followed prolonged torrential rain in the area between Whangamomona and Stratford yesterday. Communication by road is completely disorganised and, with the whole district affected, it appears likely to be some time before it will be fully restored. It is easily the worst flood for 10 years. The rain began to fall on Wednesday, became heavier on Thursday and through the night it came down in sheets with scarcely a break. until it eased yesterday afternoon. In the meanwhile rivers normally little more than creeks have been swollen by rains pouring off the bills, the soil of which is not very porous and the steep hillsides began to slide. TRAIN HELD UP, Bringing 370 passengers for Taranaki and 'Wanganui from Auckland and the Main Trunk stations a train that left Auckland at 10 o’clock on Thursday night arrived at 2.15 a.m. to-day instead of 9.30 a.m. yesterday. Slips at both ends of the KioJ'e tunnel on the Stratford-Main Trunk section caused the train to be held at Whangamomona yesterday morning pending the arrangement of road transport over the gap. The blockage of the roads, which was eventually cleared earlier than was expected, led to the abandonment of those plans and the train returned to Taumarunui to travel to New Plymouth, via Marton and Wanganui. Floods and torrential rain were reported on Mount Egmont during the past few days. The worst flood for several years occurred in the Kapuni River at Dawson Falls on Wednesday night and the site of the old power house was completely covered. The rain, which fell at the North Egmont Hostel on Tuesday, overflowed the rain gauge, which measured up to 11 inches.