Flood Damage Isolates West Coast

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1940, Page 7

Flood Damage Isolates West Coast

[Per Press Association. Copyright.] GREYMOUTH, This Day. The West Coast is entirely isolated as the result of flood damage to the railway and roads, with the exception of the outlet via Blenheim and Kaikoura.

The midland railway line to Canterbury will be blocked for another two days, as a slip near Avoca, 60 miles from Christchurch, has subsided a great deal further, while there has been another big slip nearby. Rail traffic beyond Arthur’s Pass has been suspended. Engine Derailed. It is understood that a railway locomotive was derailed at the scene of the slip near Broken River, between Staircase and Avoca, on the eastern side of the ranges, early yesterday morning, but details are not available. The Otira and Lewis Pass roads are blocked. In the former case, the trouble is snow and washouts, and the Lewis Pass Road is impassable until repairs to the Hope River Bridge are completed. Several spans were washed away in the February flood. Letter mails are being forwarded via Nelson. It is not expected that second-class mail will get through before tomorrow morning. There was little change lh the Taieri floods yesterday, although two breaks in the protective embankment caused an extension of the flooded area and a slight fall in the level of the river. Farms and homes continue to be evacuated, and reports of stock mortality indicate that losses will he serious. The latest reports last night from the higher reaches of the Taieri River suggested that the peak of the flood had not yet been reached. The Henley township was completely marooned, the rapid rise last' night causing almost complete evacuation. The troubles of the residents were aggravated by the failure of the electric light. River Still Rising. A warning was issued last night from the Strath-Taieri district that the river had risen still further in the gorge. Tire effect of this on the plains cannot be estimated, but higher up, country previously immune from flooding has been inundated. An indication of the seriousness of stock losses was given by one man who lost 100 sheep, 10 cattle and several horses. He said there were many settlers worse off. All communication south of Dunedin by road and rail is still blocked, and all routes to Central Otago are impassable. Mails from Outram were brought across the flooded plain in a boat.