GRAVE FLOODS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24827, 25 February 1944, Page 2

GRAVE FLOODS

TE WHAITI'S PLIGHT FAMILIES RESCUED LARGE AREA AFFECTED (0.C.) KOTOFU'A, Thursday Transformed by the phenomenal rains of the past few days, rivers and streams which flow through the Frew era I country by Te Whaiti, the Galatea | Fsiale and Murupara broke their bankloll Tuesday night and raged over all • the flat land iu the district. To Whaiti I suffered more than other areas. Many ! women and children had to be saved at ! night from flood water which ! threatened to engulf the rescuers as they worked. Some ol the houses were 'completely covered with swirling water, ami there are reports that a few have i been wrecked or swept away, but eoui--1 mimical ions have been interrupted so i severely that il is still impossible to I confirm some of the reported results of i t lie Hooding. The rivers mainly affected were the I'augitaiki and Whirina ki. Both rose | <ll rapidly that no precautious could Ihe taken by fanners and settlers in I the danger areas. In parts the rivers I rose as much as 20ft. and spilled across j the flat land in a great mass of water | which drowned hundreds ol cattle and j >,heop 011 the Galatea Fstate. broke fences, surrounded houses, and isolated I many farms. A Long Struggle Working in the darkness under the I direction of the police constable, men lof To Whaiti struggled for hours to | save women and children in the houses 'and to remove them to safety. Some of i the houses were later completely submerged, and others had water up to i the tops of the windows. 1 Ten feet of water covered the road i by the Te Whaiti camp site and the bridge on the main highway to Waikarenioana was completely washed awav. The ILangitaiki bridge, near Murupara, was also destroyed, so that there is no communication by road between Rotorua, Te Whaiti and Waikaremoana. Great Landslides Caused ! Great landslides were brought down |on the slopes of the hills where the 1 road passes through them, and some of I the slips over the road will take days Ito clear. It is not expected that the road to Galatea will be opened before I Saturday. Many of the farms on the Galatea 'Fstate are still surrounded by water too deep to negotiate and some of the I settlers last night said they did not j know when they would be able to reach the township at Murupara. Some of I their children were at school when the Hood waters swept across parts of the estate yesterday and they had, to stay the night with friends at the Murupara settlement. Caring {or the Homeless Stock losses cannot yet be estimated. An indication of their severity was the report that one Galatea farmer had lost at least 100 sheep. Crops of potatoes at Murupara are thought to have been destroyed. Telephone lines were brought down and in some cases great difficulty was experienced in tracing the faults because of the blockages on the roads. Kmergency steps were taken at Te Whaiti to care for the homeless. The Maoris of the area have provided accommodation for them at the Te Whaiti meeting-house and it is reported that enough food is available to last this isolated township until complete communication is restored with Hotorua. WATER RECEDING HKAYY STOCK LOSSES EDGECUMBE HOMES SUFFER (0.C.) WHAKATANF., Thursday The floodwaters round Whakatane are receding to-day and the Whakatane Jliver is going down rapidly after causing considerable stock losses in the Taneatua and Opuoriao areas. Total losses cannot yet be estimated, but one farmer has lost at least £OOO worth of cattle. The township hardest hit is Kdgerumbe. which is almost all under water of varying depths as a result of the liaugitaiki Itiver bursting its stopba 11 k s. The Kangitaiki overflowed in spite of an all-night attempt by the settlers to buttress the stopbanks with sandbags. The river has flooded thousands of acres on the northern section of the I'augitaiki Plains and caused tremendous damage. The liangilaiki Plains Dairy Company was toned to cease operations yesterday morning. About 4ft. of water flowed through Kdgecumbe at the height of the flood and at least four families whose houses were on slightly lower ground have been forced to evacuate. Numerous others are continuing to live in houses which have some inches of water in them. The only bridge giving access to the Potorua main highway was broken loday under the pressure of a raft of log> brought down on the floods from the Galatea estate. The approaches to the railway bridge which runs alongside were washed out and the Auckiand-Taiiranga-Taneat 11 a express was stopped short of the bridge. Passengers were transferred to another train on the other side. Part of the highway on the Whakatane side ot Kdgecumbe is •Iff. under water. Hail way road service passengers have had to be taken by way of the Maori settlement at Te Toko, which is on higher ground, above Kdgecuinbe, and ferried across the Uangitaiki there. The rain stopped at Kdgceuiube this afternoon. and a report by telephone late to-night said that the water appeared to be receding. The Whakatane Paper Mills were not affected by the flood and have been working continuously. No interruption is likely to occur if supplies of wood and coal can be got through to the mills, but in the event of communication with the Waikato sources of supply being interrupted lor any time the mills will have to close down. TAUPO-NAPIER ROAD blocked by washouts SERVICE TRAFFIC SUSPENDED (0.C.) TATTI'O, Thursday The Tatipo-Napier highway, which was closed to traffic last night because of damage done by heavv rain yesterday, is still impassable. I'lie extent ol the washouts was increased again today by further rain at. about 2 p.m. on the three-mile section of road just north of Pangitaiki, washouts previously from lit. to lift, wide being now a chain in width. The whole road will have to he rebuilt.. 11. was not possible to do any work I on the road to-day, hut the Works' Department is holding a bulldozer and trucks with gangs of men ready to start immediately conditions will allow. The engineers intend to make every effort to have at least, a temporary road ready by Saturday. Service cars left, Tnnpo this morning with mail and passengers with the intent ion of transferring the loads to cars from Napier waiting beyond the damaged section. Alter the cars left Taiipo word was received from Napier that, the cars from there could not get through owing to further damage to the road at a point about 50 miles from Napier, where two culverts were washed out. 'I he cars from Taupo later rot urned. Telegraphic communication with Napier was interrupted about 5 p.m. yesterday and was not. restored until to-day. If is now normal. The weather appears to be improving and there has been no rain for some hours.