DAMAGE IN COUNTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19234, 25 January 1926, Page 10

DAMAGE IN COUNTRY.

WHOLE PROVINCE AFFECTED, HEAVY RAIN IN PLACES. SEVERAL BUILDINGS UNROOFED. [BY TET.EGHAFH. OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] HAMILTON. Sunday. The gale, with heavy rains, which raged last Friday, stopped abruptly in Hamilton in the evening, and fine weather was experienced during Saturday. The weather to-day has been showery, and heavy rain has fallen at intervals. The telegraph, telephone and power systems in the Waikato were greatly effected, and considerable damage was done to the linos. Telegraphic communication in the Hamilton district was not interfered with, although tho districts further afield suffered owing to the disorganisation. The service from Hamilton to Botorua was out of order for some hours, the lines being broken near Putaruru by falling trees. Communication with Tirau was interrupted for some time oil account of broken wires. Several lines in the Matamata district wore also interfered with. The Ohaupo district suffered severely, many of the telegraph wires being broken and a number of poles being either cracked or broken. Communication between Hamilton and Te Awamutu was. held up until late on Friday night. Generally speaking, the telephone lines, in the vicinity of Hamilton stood the gale, although several lines near Rototuna were broken by falling branches or trees. Considerable damage was done at Ohaupo,, where it is estimated that about 50 per cent, of the lines were broken down, and the fuses in some of the telephones were blown out. The Central Electric Power Board had! trouble near Taupiri this morning, where a faulty insulator had to bo replaced. TE AWAMUTU, Saturday. Tho storm which swept over the district yesterday did not do any great damage. The electric light and power supply was interrupted for half an hour in the morning and totally in the evening. Harm has been done to orchards,, plantations and hay stacks, but it is oi: a minor nature. * WAIHI, Saturday. The rainfall at Waihi for tho 24 hours; to S a.m. this morning was 5.56 in. DAMAGE IN KING COUNTRY. ROOF TORN FROM HOUSE. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENTS.} TAUMARUNUI. Saturday. The storm brought down the telegraph lines between Owhango and Kakahi, and communication was not fully restored, until midnight. Tho wind ripped tho top off a house at Oio. Heavy rain fell. TAIHAPE. Saturday. The south-easterly gales experienced in tho Taihape district were the most severe felt for many years. The telephone services to the outlying districts wero in-' terrupted, but beyond the unrooffing of a few sheds no damage was done. The gale was very severe at Mangaweka, and chimneys were blown down. A large barn was wrecked. SEVERITY AT KOTOIi.UA. HEAVY RAINFALL RECORDED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] BOTORUA, Saturday. The gale during the storm was one of the most severe ever experienced on the lake. The launches were removed to safety. Heavy rain fell, 3.15 in. being recorded, 1.75 in. in the four hours in the evening. I I

FLOODING NEAR TE PUKE. OPOTIKI MAiZE SUFFERS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] TE PUKE. Saturday The Kaituna and Waiari Rivers both overflowed their banks, -with the result that a largo area of swamp land is badly fkioded. The main road between McDonald's Farm and the Kaituna Bridge was practically impassable for motor traffic. From two to three feet of water rushed over the main road eastward of tho Kaituna Bridge. OPOTIKI. Saturday. The storm did considerable damage to crops, particularly to the early maize, much of which was in flower and has been flattened. The later crops are expected to recover. Tho fruit trees were almost denuded of fruit. Quito a number of trees in tho district wore uprooted. TARANAKI BUFFETED. HEAVY SEAS ON COAST. TELEGRAPHS DISORGANISED. Weather conditions in Taranaki on Friday were tho worst experienced in the province for a considerable period. A gale that sprang up during Thursday night blew intermittently throughout the day, and was accompanied by violent downpours of heavy rain. Numerous trees in the northern part of the province suffered severely, and along the foreshore the ■wind was severe enough to lift roofing in several instances. The most severe •» inconvenience was caused by the interruption of telegraphic communication with Wellington, a break occurring during the afternoon, apparently in tho neighbourhood of Waitotara. For a brief .period about 6.15 p.m. communication was restored but it was soon interrupted again, and the furthest south the New Plymouth telegraph yoperators could get on Friday night was Hawera. The only means of obtaining cable and telegraph news was by a single lino from Auckland, the messages going to Auckland from Wellington, and then being relayed back to New Plymouth. The telephone services were also blocked, a tree hiving fallen across the lines near Kai Iwi. Heavy seas drove in from tho north and, combined with the exceptionally high tide, created conditions in tho neighbourhood of the port that, according to the harbourmaster, Captain Waller, wero more stormy than he could recollect for very many yxars. Shipping, however, suffered no damage. The overseas liner Kia Ora was - berthed at the New Plymouth wharf all day, and the Rarawa and the scow Oban at the Moturoa wharf, but they rode easily at their berths, the -increased length of the breakwater affording good protection. The whole length of the foreshore presented an inspiring spectacle with the hug? rollers foaming high up on to tho beach.