BROOKLYN FLOOD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 7 February 1944, Page 2

BROOKLYN FLOOD

WATER IN TOBACCO KILNS DAMAGE TO ROADS AND PROPERTY During the storm of wind and rain experienced in the Motueka and. Riwaka districts late on Friday night and early Saturday morning the Brooklyn creek overflowed its banks and water swept through a number of properties in the vicinity of the Brooklyn School. The road leading up the Brooklyn Valley suffered considerable damage in the way of wash-outs and in consequence is dangerous for traffic The approaches to the bridge near Mr R Barrow's property were washed away, and a gravel bank in the stream at Mr G. Relat’s caused the water to overflow the banks and flood his tobacco kilns. Water tilled the stokehold, which is 4ft deep and also covered the floor to a depth of Hft. The motors were put out of action and later had to be dried out before leaf drying could be resumed.

Flood water swept through the area where Mr Relat is growing flowers for seed, causing great damage to the crops and came out at the junction of the Brooklyn and Shaggery roads. Here the road suffered badly. A hole Bft long 41t wide and 2ft deep was torn out. and further on one of 30yds long, 4ft wide and Ift deep was made in the road A smaller washout also took place at the Brooklyn School corner.

An overflow of the creek s banks at the Tobacco Research Station caused flooding of this property and put out the fires of a kiln then in operation The property of Mrs H. Everett, senr., adjoins that of the Research Station and the first indication the occupants of the house had of the flooding was when Miss Everett found water running through her bedroom. After the water had subsided in the early hours of Saturday morning- it was found that half an inch of silt had been deposited in all the rooms

Mr H. B. Everett luckily had just finished a kiln of tobacco and the flooding of the stoking room did no damage. Although water did not enter his residence, the grounds were covered to a depth of one foot. Mr B. T. Rowling had two acres of Cape gooseberries silted up and most of the crop will probably be destroyed He also had a tobacco kiln going at the time and the fires were put out by the flood Footbridges and floodgates between the Brooklyn School and Mr Rowling’s property were washed away. It appears that a slip in the creek above Mr Barrow’s residence held a large volume of water in check for a time, and the excessive flooding of the properties in the vicinity of the Research Station was probably caused when the dam in the creek gave way.