Christchurch Flooded: Torrential Rainfall

Northern Advocate, 17 December 1938, Page 13

Christchurch Flooded: Torrential Rainfall

[Per Press Association. Copyright. 1 CHRISTCHURCH,' This Day. Accompanied by flashes of vivid lightning and loud peals of thunder, one of the heaviest deluges of rain the city has ever experienced fell in Christchurch yesterday, causing heavy damage to a few shops and minor damage to others. The aggregate of damage in the city is expected to reach several thousand pounds. City streets in many areas were covered by an unbroken sheet of water, the channels being unable to carry away the large volume of water.

The storm broke shortly after 5 p.m., and within half an hour .68in. of rain had fallen.

The damage caused in city shops was not because of flooding on ground floors, but because the heavy deluge was preceded by a heavy fall of hail, which blocked downpipes on buildings.

In the store of Millers, Ltd., in Lichfield Street, it is estimated that the damage will run into thousands of pounds. The bulk stores carrying large quantities of clothing and drapery, in the upper part of the building were badly flooded. Torrential rain fell in the Temuka district, beginning late last night. Until mid-day yesterday, the fall was unabated, water flooding channels and pouring into gardens and dwellings. In some parts of the main street, the water reached the building line, causing anxiety to shopkeepers. Shearing will be further retarded, for very few sheep escaped a wetting.