TRAFFIC ROUTES BLOCKED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18713, 20 May 1924, Page 8

TRAFFIC ROUTES BLOCKED.

FLOODING AT WHANGAREI. , f; *; DARGAVILLE ' CUT OFF. ; ——& V - - - V i .VERANDAHS RAISED BODILY. ■ .[by TELEGRAPH.--OWN . CORRESPONDENT.] \ -: . -WHAITGAREI. Monday. ' ! The 'predicted storm struck Whangarei ,',;' Svith j a . degree; of .-. fury unknown during r Q, the past 10 years. Pr AH howling south- ' easter blew, across the Northern Penin- ' sula on ; Friday - evening, steadily y changing, by east to .north, ; accompanied by .very heavy rain. . r .-•'■. ■; ■;', The rainfall registered- at Mr. L. Hanlon's meteorological station f theKamo ~ 'Kuad,* was 2in.. for 24 hours. At Kamo . the registration : for ; the same period 'was o*.s4in. .."-."' :V:~ ~\i Five ''. shops in. Upper ' Bank ' Street "V almost simultaneously had their verandahs :■: lifted --from the posts and ' blown on to the- roofs. '" ' ' . -V^Whangarei^was' isolated from Auckland by-.telephonic or telegraphic, com:munication^and it was only on Saturday, that touch -. could be got' with the ■'-' /Awanni Wireless station, and ■"*; the ' whereabouts of th&* Manaia ascertained. >> A good deal of anxiety was. beingi felt. -' Owing -to- "arcing" of the :;insulators on- the high-tension line at the trans- - ; mission station the town .was .in • dark- \ 'ness oh, Friday night. ./ i- / ' Sunday and r to-day the Mangakahia /and Northern; Wairoa Rivers : . were in : i> i bigh flood, ; and it wasi ; Impossible for cars toj run I between^Whangarei: and Dar-~ I ' gaville, ' or •: up % the '] Mangakahia ■ Valley; At i the Mangakahia . Bridge at . Titoki the > flood waters reached within two feet of the decking, marking a greater rise than .occurred '■) inuring the inundations at the \ beginning of \ April. - : High * tides ■in "the >; ~, Northern- Wairoa River;; combined I with th« floods to put the road through the KinkopuniiVauley;. on the route to%Dar- , gaville, fully 6ft. under water. ;. As the i rain ceased during Saturday night.it is;expectedithat- the rivers will , subside rapidly, and it is hoped.:that \ the -:';:: mail car -will: be able Jto get , through to - Dargaville to-morrow..