FEARS OF FLOODING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 220, 17 August 1939, Page 9

FEARS OF FLOODING

RIVERS RISE RAPIDLY. OROUA BREAKS BANKS. SEVERAL ROADS BLOCKED Fears of flooding which might assume a very serious aspect were held in the lower areas of the Manawatu district to-day following rapid rises in the Manawatu and Oroua Rivers, the latter of which had broken its banks at Kopane, while all creeks and small streams were bank high. Numerous roads were reported to be blocked by slips or wash-outs in consequence of very heavy rain which fell overnight and tliis forenoon. Most farms are water-logged. The Manawatu River was running at a level of sft at 6 p.m. yesterday, but by midnight it had gradually risen to Bft. At 6 a.m. to-day it was 10ft 9 inches and thereafter it continued to rise slowly, but perceptibly until at 12.30 p.m. it had reached a height of lift 9 inches, and was still creeping up the gauge at the Fitzherbert bridge. During the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. to-day exactly 1-J inches of rainfall were recorded in Palmerston North, bringing the aggregate to 2.02 inches in a week and 3.60 inches so far this month, during which rain has fallen on 11 days. The fall between 9_ a.m. and mid-day to-day was ,28in. Nearly 21 inches of rainfall were recorded at Tiritca last night. MANAWATU GORGE SLTP.

Troubles in the Manawatu Gorge culminated- in a slip blocking the roadway at about 11.30 a.m. to-day. It occurred at the “slurry” point, which is a constant source of concern as the location of a creeping slip.

Just as a service bus was passing along a narrow track at its base, the slip opened up and burst out, partly engulfing the vehicle, but no one was injured.

Strenuous work was subsequently in progress to extricate the bus and open up another track, attempts being made to obtain a grader to expedite clearance operations, and an hour later it was reported that the route had been reopened, with a truck standing by to assist motorists who got into difficulty.

Bad conditions prevail in the Manawatu Gorge, with the prospect of further heavy slips imminent at any time. The hillside is in a saturated and crumbling state, with falls of earth and undergrowth coming down repeatedly along the route of the highway. Motorists sometimes had to sign and remove fairly large stones which had fallen on the road. /- The Manawatu River was carrying a big flood beneath the rocky walls of the Gorge, and quite early this morning the water was lapping the grass on Rabbit Island. Heavy rain had fallen at Woodville, and the Pohangina River wasxrunning bank high. For the 24 hours up to noon 2in. of rain had. been measured at Woodville. With a huge volume of water pouring in from all along its watershed, the Manawatu River was still rising. Meanwhile, it was reported that a big slip had come down on the Siberia Road, on the southern side of the Manawatu River between Aokautere and the Gorge. This slip was stated to be right across the road to a height of six feet. HEAVY AT TIRITEA.

Following a rainfall of 2.20 inches at Tiritea during the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. to-day, the Tiritea Stream rose to the biggest height it has reached for some years, and there was 3 feet of water pouring over the bv-wash at the City Council’s dam. Flooding down its course, the stream inundated large areas of Bledisloe Park anu the water extended on to the adjacent Massey College hockey ground, but later subsided from there. A slip which came down on the Tiritea ltoad just below Picnic Flat completely blocked it to-day. Slips have come down on the Aokautere Road, some of them being fairly large ones. Similar conditions were reported on hill roads throughout the counties adjacent to Palmerston North., ' There has been heavy rain at Shannon and in the southern areas of the Manawatu. OROUA RIVER DANGEROUS.

The Oroua River was reported to have broken its banks at. Kopiane this morning, and was likely to make make breaches at other points. The Main Drain had overflowed across the road at Mangawhata. Bourke’s Drain and the Oroua River had both overflowed in the vicinity of Ilangitane and were starting to flood adjacent land. Water was accumulating rapidly in parts of the Taonui basin. Stock one property which was in jeopardy had tieen brought into a holding paddock close to the road, and difficulty was, being experienced with about 800 ewes which were lambing. The Oroua River had completely closed the gap under the bridge on the main highway at Rangiotu at noon after a remarkable rise of 16 or 17 feet, and the water was dashing up against the arch of the structure. It appeared to be still rising and, with a breach reported in the hank nearer the Manawatn River, the outlook for the locality, was one causing concern. Manv acres of land were under water to-day in the Ivopane and Kairanga districts. Tlife Oroua River, where it is crossed bv the Rongotea Road, was within a foot or two of the top of its hanks. Small lakelets had formed at the Tvairn.nga dairy factory corner and at the intersection of No. 4 Line with the Rongotea Road, while! much land was under water in the* basin at Kopane west of the Rongotea] cemetery. ’ BUCKLEY AREA INUNDATED.

The branch of the Manawatu River, on the Buckley side opposite Spring’s Point, has broken and is flooding all the Bueklev area. The farmers were busy removing all their stock, but no losses are reported.

The flood is said to lie the worst since 1926. FEILDING-A W AHURI ROAD.

The Feilding-Awahuri Road, this forenoon, was under wafer, which was still rising, to a depth of about 5 feet in the vicinity of Kitchener Park, and a big rise in the level of the creek on the old Sandon Road had occurred, where the water was a foot deep at one point, and likely to surround the bridge at Nairn’s at any time. Parts of Speedy’s Line. Fagan’s Line and Taylor’s Line were under water in the Oliakea district, where the big aerodrome drain on Frecldington’s Line was' full to a depth of 10 or 12 feet-, and was overflowing. ” The Rangitikei River was rising rapidly, having gone uji by about 8 feet this morning.

The Mangiione Stream was bank high at Foxton Line And appeared likely to trickle over at any time just before noon. It appeared to be still rising then. • ■ MAIN TRUNK DELAYS. Advice was received by the Manawatu Automobile Association at 10 a.m. to-day that owing to a slip the Farapara Road would be closed to traffic for 24 hours at least. The Pipiliki Road would be closed all day, and perhaps longer. There were several small slips on the Main Trunk Kovl between Hunterville and Taihape, and tile road was very greasy as far as Utiku. The road from Taihape to National Park was clear of snow, but was very greasy, and heavy rain was falling. Running some 6J hours late, the Limited express did not reach Palmerston North to-day until 1.30 p.m., owing to slips which had occurred on the line at Utiku, near Taihape. The earlier south-bound express encountered bad conditions on the line, but passed through Palmerston North only lhr lOmin late. Air services were being maintained according: to schedule this morning. COUNTRYSIDE SATURATED. Sodden paddocks, many carrying large lakelets, and spongy pastures indicate the saturated nature of the countryside, where all creeks are carrying heavy freshes, and drains are full. Small wash-outs have occurred in some places, and gardens are quagmires. Ail along Foxton Line even yesterday numerous stretches of water were to be seen in paddocks. The Mangaone Stream this morning was running very close to bank hum in places, and appeared to be still rising. Behind the Awapuni racecourse it had developed into a long, wide lake, while the Awapuni lagoon had spread out to an extent which greatly magnified its size. The tops of adjacent fences were under water, and a stream was flowing across the hollow, in the approach road to the racecourse. Similarly, the Kawau Stream was running hank high and looked likely to overflow at any time in many places. The Takaro Bowling Club’s green was completely under water. Bad weather is reported in the Pohangina Valley, where it was raining heavily this morning, and creeks were in flood. Numerous slips are stated to have occurred on the roads in the hill country. A big subsidence came down on the main highway between Raumai and Tvomako, blocking the road to heavy vehicles for a period. Yesterday there was a washout in the vicinity of the new Te Awn bridge. The season so far has been a very bad one for ewes and lambs, the conditions last week-end being severe. The latest rainstorms have considerably the difficulties of farmers. Conditions in the city showed little amelioration up to early this afternoon, rain having fallen steadily all the morning. CONDITIONS AT FEILDING. Considerable flooding of highways and paddocks has resulted from the heavy rain experienced in Fcilding during the past 24 hours, and north of Feikling many of the roads, particularly the side roads, are under water, while the Oroua River and the Makino Stream are in high flood, the latter being stated to be still rising at 10 a.m. The Awahuri main highway is again blocked. Mr F. Mason informed the “Evening Standard” this morning , that the rainfall for the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m., measured l.Soin, and rain was still falling incessantly at 10 o’clock.

The unusually prolonged heavy rain has tested the efficacy of culverts and water channels in the borough, and in many instances the structures which in normal times are able to accommodate the water have been found to bo totally inadequate. In a number of streets the water has broken away from its normal course and considerable inundation lias resulted. Lawns and backyards are covered, while on farm property the paddocks in many cases are under water. According to old residents, the Makino Stream has not been as high as it is to-day for 40 years. Victoria Park and Kowhai Park are under water.

Throughout the morning the rain, has fallen continuously and the position is becoming alarming for farmers on the lower lying land where inundation appears inevitable. With lambing and calving in full swing the experience is an unpleasant one, n.nd losses of lambs will no doubt result.