A RECORD FOR WHAKAPARA

Northern Advocate, 3 February 1936, Page 2

A RECORD FOR WHAKAPARA

“We know the technique of flooding in this district,” a Whakapara resident told a “Northern Advocate” reporter, who called on him yesterday evening, “Given five hours’ warning of an impending outbreak, the settlers -moved their stock to higher ground.”

However, despite this, there was considerable loss of pigs, as well as hay stacks. One farmer saw all his livestock, except his dairy herd, swept away.

In one paddock a large tarpaulin cover, used to protect a haystack, was lying on the silt, while the hay was in confusion on a neighbour’s paddock, a quarter of a mile away. Mr Moss Smith and his family, who live near the main road at Whakapara, had to abandon their home. The water lapped over the top of the piano.

The shop and residence of Mr H. McKellow was flooded, with some loss of merchandise.

A Striking Sight.

“At four o’clock on Sunday morning, I witnessed a striking sight,” Mr McKellow told a reporter. “The flood had topped the foot of the hillock, upon which the railway station stands, and running a foot deep between the cattle stop and the outbuilding, created a picturesque watertall, toppling over the four-foot embankment.”

For a few hours in the very early hours of Sunday morning the main road, which has been raised just north of the settlement, was flooded, but, with the exception of scoured metal, suffered very little.