DOWNPOUR IN AUCKLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22498, 16 February 1935, Page 14

DOWNPOUR IN AUCKLAND

LOW-LYING AREAS FLOODED DAMAGE IN BUSINESS PREMISES (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 15Torrential rain of exceptional severity fell in Auckland and suburbs this afternoon, causing considerable damage in' shops and warehouses in the lower parts of the city and in low-lying areas in the suburbs. Heavy rain in the early hours of the morning was followed by warm, humid conditions, but shortly after 1 o’clock the weather again became thick, and, following a minor cloudburst, the storm broke in full force and continued unabated for two hours. The rain was accompanied by a mild electrical storm. By 4 o’clock the wind, which had been light from the north-east, swung round to the south-west, with a quick improvement in the conditions, allowing thousands of shoppers who had been marooned under shop verandas for most of the afternoon to make for their homes. The total tall from midnight to 4 p.m. was 4.40 in, of which probably three inches and a-half fell during the afternoon. At the height of the storm rain was falling at. the rate of two inches an hour, and with the city drainage system failing to cope with the water the streets were awash and the flood waters entered many basements in the business area. AN UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE.

A dozen young men had the unusual experience of swimming almost in the heart of the city, wearing only football shorts. They plunged around up to their waists in water in Fort street lane in an effort to. locate and clear .some of the storm water gratings, and in intervals of their labours they swam about and even took shallow dives before a large crowd of amused spectators. CELLARS FLOODED.

Port street lane and the warehouses abutting on it always suffer when a. heavy rainfall coincides with a fairly high tide, but to-day's experience is considered to have been this worst case of flooding for many years. By 4.30 the water was bver three feet deep at the lowest part of the lane. In many warehouses the cellars were flooded to a depth of two feet and over- In one warehouse the solid concrete floor was cracked open by subterranean water pressure, and the whole cellar was covered to a depth of two feet. The flood showed no signs of receding, and finally a machine from the Central Fire Brigade was despatched to the scene. Two leads were connected with a powerful pump, and at the rate of 350 gallons a minute the lane was pumped dry. In Port street a large area of wooden paving blocks was forced up by the pressure of the water from the overloaded main. WATER IN BASEMENTS MUCH STOCK LOST BUCKET BRIGADES FORMED. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, February 15. The basements and cellars’ of many business premises on both sides of Queen street between the Victoria street and Suay street intersections were flooded uring the downpour with consequent damage to fittings and stock. In spite of the valiant efforts of bucket brigades, miniature lakes, in some cases over four feet deep, formed below the ground level in many establishments, and a fire engine from the Central Station was employed until a late hour in reducing, the water levels. It was equipped with a special pump. The Queen street premises of the Farmers’ Trading Company, Limited, suffered Before 4 o clock, water began to flow into the shop on the ground floor through a door giving access to an outside landing. It was soon ankle deep and the situation became so serious that the shop had to be closed while barefooted employees, armed with buckets, endeavoured to reduce the level. An army of girl assistants swept the water out of the shop with brooms. Meanwhile gallons of water had poured down the lift well and through the floor into the tea rooms beneath. The men worked in relays on the building pump, but the flood continued to gam. Chairs and tables were cleared, linoleum was taken up, and about 20 barefooted waitresses worked feverishly with brooms while water poured down from all parts of the ceiling. The kitchen rapidly became flooded, and after considerable damage had been caused to the wallpaper and fittings, the invasion was finally stemmed. Serious damage was caused to the stock in the premises in Fort street lane. The flood invaded the warehouse of John Burns and Co., Ltd., the ground floor being covered to a depth of about two feet. It was stated that the damage approximated £4OO. The establishment of Ryland Brothers, netting and wire importers, also suffered, and while the loss was difficult to estimate, it was considered to be in the vicinity of £3OO. * A curious scene was presented in the basement of a men’s outfitters’ shop in the Lower Queen street area. It was flooded to within two feet of the ceiling, and on the surface of the water there floated a heterogeneous collection of hat boxes and window-dressing equipment. Pro-truding-from the water wr." the arm of a tailor’s dummy.