Kaitaia Marooned; Little Damage

Northern Advocate, 27 July 1938, Page 8

Kaitaia Marooned; Little Damage

f Special to ‘‘Northern Advocate' I KAITAIA. This Day. Accompanied by. thunder and lightning, a torrential downpour was .experienced in the Far North yesterday. The storm lasted about five hours, and during that time almost three indies of rain fell at Kudina, Rivers rose rapidly, and in a very short time the town was marooned.- -Several ..bridges were washed away, including one new

concrete structure not fully completed. Some small slips came down in the Mangamuka Gorge, Hignc-sl on Reccru. The flood at Fairburn and Oruru was reported to be the highest on record. and a number of slips occurred on the Blackbridge hill. In the Pukopoto district the flood was also the worst known up to the present. The boxing and other preliminary work for the construction of the slaughterhouse bridge fn concrete was badly damaged, and much of the work will have to be done over again. The Houhora road was blocked by washouts, but should be opened up again today. Floods at Rangiahua. At Rangiahua, the road was flooded and the mail van, service cars and other vehicles for Kaitaia were held up. The flood had been very high at one stage at Mangamuka, but was reported last evening to be receding fast. The end of the bridge on the Mangamuka side of Rangiahua was washed away, but temporary repairs, permitting traffic to pass, were possible. At Powell’s, near Kailaia, the road was well covered with water and there was little prospect at ti p.m. of traffic getting through on Tuesday night. Unnecessary Concern. It was feared that when the Hood waters, which rose so high at Fairburn. reached Kaitaia, there would be a repetition of conditions experienced with the big flood over two years ago. when the water rose above the floor level of shops, and manv business men took the precaution cf removing goods beyond the possibility of damage. but the apprehensions proved groundless. The Okau Stream, which crosses Redan Read, rose very high and at one stage the position looked ominous. Contrary to expectations, the service cars and mail van reached Kaitaia at about 10.30 last night, No losses ■of stock have been reported, and the damage to pastures is not as serious as was at first thought. A number of visitors from the Bay of Islands were forced to remain in Kaitaia.