HAWKES BAY FLOODS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 3 May 1932, Page 6

HAWKES BAY FLOODS

: FURTHER DETAILS J LARGE AREA INUNDATED HOMES VACATED (By Telegraph—Ptcss Association) NAPIER, 2nd May. Flood conditions prevailed in the district between Napier and Hastings and to the westward of those two places over the week-end; also at Maumoana Beach, at the mouth of (lie Ngaruroro river. Late on Saturday afternoon (lie situation became serious, but cessation of rain • during Saturday night and Sunday morning relieved the position and prevented greater damage, than, already had been done. A. break in the bank of tlio Tutaekuri river, which occurred on Friday afternoon, allowed the water to flood over the Lower Papakura district throughout Saturday and yesterday, and an area a mile in width is..now covered to a depth of two to three feet. Practically a third of the volume of the river , is going through the breach, taking witli it a very considerable amount /of silt, which has been very much in evidence in all rivers in I lie district since tlie earthquake. ■ A further breach some four chains ui extent occurred on. Saturday afternoon whfen the Ngaruroro broke its bank at Rauparc, and here again the country in thq vicinity of Poplar Avenue and I’akowhfii, small settlements to tbe west, of Hastings, are inundated. No serious stock losses were reported, although yesterday those who visited the flood area savi an occasional cow or sheep drowned. The areas affected are mainly small farm holdings, with some dairying cattle, and as fanners are quite accustomed to flood conditions lately ihcyUiad taken the precaution of removing stock to higher ground. There have been fairly, numerous instances of fences having been swept away where thev wore called upon to withstand the full force of flood waters; some of .them have only lately been renewed since the last flood on Bth March. About 0 dozen houses in Lower Papakura are 1 isolated by flood waters, but residents not been compelled to leave them as-they are built high above flood levelIn‘one or two instances they have been short of. food, but. arrangements have been made to supply tliern with wluit is required. More serious than for twenty years are* .the conditions at Haumoana-. Reach, a resort just over 20 miles frohm Napier, at'the mouth of Ngaruroro river. The s.w'olicn river, hacked up. by heavy seas, soon resulted in portions of the residential quarter nearest- to the river bank being inundated, and at least six bouses hafl to be vacated, the floors being under water. One family, which had only bchn settled there for two weeks, and consisting of a man, his wife, five childdren, and an aged blind father, had lo be* removed by boat to safety. Another family spent the night sitting on the table in the kitchen. In another section of the township two lagoons overflowed across tiic roadway owing to the river backing up, and ten houses situated between the lagoons were completely isolated oil Saturday. Qije resident was able to • row a boat across the flooded paddocks, where the lfcyel of the water, was over the top of the fences, to do necessary shopping in thp village. -Yesterday the river dropped considerably mainly due lo the sea moderating and the opening of the river mouth by tKe river. River Board officials and residents are deeply concerned, however, as another rough sea may again cause serious damage. The stop bank and flood gate promised by the River Board for many years has now become a dire ne-

C(?sf>it.y if the township is to ho adequately protected, but the serious development, on this occasion will no doubt prompt early commencement by the board.