Torrential Rain; Roads Affected

Northern Advocate, 29 August 1938, Page 8

Torrential Rain; Roads Affected

Exceptionally heavy rain fell in Whangarei at the week-end. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. yesterday was 4.10 inches. All hockey fixtures on Saturday were cancelled, and most golf matches were postponed. Yesterday the weather cleared considerably, the fall for the 24 hours to 9 a.m. today being only .05 inch. Saturday’s steady rain brought the creeks quickly to flood level, and in many parts of the district flooding occurred. Yesterday many roads were blocked although in the majority of cases the water had subsided sufficiently by the afternoon to let traffic pass. High Flood At Hukerenui.

At Hukerenui the water was higher than the present Whangarei patrol of the A.A. had ever seen it before. At Whakapara the road was covered to within 100 yards of the store and near the Whakapara bridge the water was up to the running boards of cars. Although the water at Hukerenui was still high at midday, cars were getting through to Kawakawa by the evening. -

The notorious Fraser’s Flat was early affected, and at 4.30 p.m. yesterday the water at this point reached a depth of 3ft. Gins. ’•This morning, however, the water was reported to have dropped and cars were getting through, Dargaville Road Blocked. At 2 p.m. yesterday water came on to Taylor’s Flat, and by 5 p.m, the road was impassable to the average car. This morning the water there reached a depth of 6ft. Flooding also occurred on the Dargaville end of the Waihue Road. The Houto detour earned traffic yesterday and the Whangarei patrol of the A.A. travelled by it to Dargaville. He said this morning that the road had badly subsided in two places. These had been flagged by the A.A. and he advised motorists to pay particular heed to the warnings as the subsidences were likely to proved dangerous if approached at speed. The Auckland-Whangarei road was unaffected. The Jordan Valley bi-road will probably not be open until tomorrow.