FLOODS IN CANTERBURY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22826, 10 March 1936, Page 10

FLOODS IN CANTERBURY

A SERIOUS SITUATION RAIN STILL CONTINUES (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, March 9. Heavy rain vhich has fallen almost continuously since Saturday night has caused unusually severe flooding, chiefly from surface water. The Ashley River, which caused serious damage in the floods a fortnight ago, is again in flood, but no grave damage is yet reported. One small bridge over the Kowai stream betyvecn Ashley and Sefton, has been washed away. The most serious flooding is in the Little River district. With the streams syveepmg down like great torrents into the township and Lake Forsyth rising to meet them, the people of Little River were faced to-night yvith the prospect of havmg to leave their homes at any moment. The flooding is even greater than at the time of the disastrous floods in May, 1934. All day, relentless, driving rain beat upon the toyvnship and brought the streams doyvn at a terrific pace, filling the streets yvith yvater to a depth of three feet and four feet. The situation became acute this evening yvhen Lake Forsyth, yvhich had been at loyv level, began to rise. Late to-night it yvas yvithin a foot of the road and if tlie rain continues throughout the night residents of the toyvnship yvill probably be faced yvith a serious plight. They have all their furniture piled up high in their homes and are ready to leave at any moment. Tyvo families, in fact, yvere forced to leave late in the afternoon yvhen yvater to a depth of tyvo inches lay on the floor. The toyvnship yvas rapidly isolated. A eyve fair yvhich yvas have been held there yvas abandoned. Early in the morning, the owners began at once to remove their sheep, hut had filled only 12 trucks yvhen the yvater rose so rapidly that (hey had to stop yvork and swim the rest of the sheep out. The stock on the trucks yvas soon marooned and had to be left there all night. It yvas feared that many would die of cold overnight, although the yvater yvas not high enough to enter the trucks. The road from Christchurch to Little River is under yvater in many places. Service cars to Akaroa could not get through to-day, and the raihvay line is also flooded. The train yvhich yvas conveying stock to the Little River eyye fair is isolated at Birdling’s Flat oyving to the yvashouts on the lino. The road at Kinloeh is four feet under yvater, and several slips have occurred. The rain is very* unwelcome in the country. Very little yvheat remains ungarnered, hut the rain will complete .the damage of a fortnight ago to the grain still out iu the fields. The worst damage from the present rains may he to the potato crops, some of yvhich yvere rotting already after the rains of the last storm. The losses of potatoes therefore may be considerable. At many points on the Main South road storm yvater yvas lying on the roads in places to a depth of 18 inches. Serious flooding occurred in many parts of the city. Both the Avon and the Heathcote yvere unable to carry the huge volume of yvater, and late in the afternoon overfloyved in the loyv-lying quarters. In Beckenham the position became so acute that people had to leave their homes and in other parts of the city near the rivers there yvere indications of a serious plight for many householders if the heavy rain continued. ' No serious damage yvas caused by the floods in the city itself, but it seemed late' to-night that if the exceptionally heavy rain persisted the city generally might have to face one of the yy'orst floods in recent years. The districts in yvhich the flood caused most anxiety yvere those near the Heathcote Riy’er.. Ihe river overfloyved its banks in many places and some persons in Western terrace, on the banks of the river, had to abandon their homes. ... j The high level of the river caused trouble in Opawa. Radley, St. Martins, Cashmere, Beckenham, and Rmcarton Great .stretches ot the roads the river yvere covered yvith water. Some footbridges were impassable, and a few houses yvere surrounded, their occupants being marooned, and the street corners yvere awash. The Avon River also broke its banks, and resulted in heavy flooding of roads and gardens in Dallington. "he indications are that if the rain continues much longer there yvill bn serious flooding, especially near the Cashmere Hills, and more families may he compelled to quit their homes. The rain continues unabated. About tyvo inches of rain have fallen in the last 24 hours. DOWNPOUR IN SOUTH CANTERBURY DAMAGE TO WHEAT CROPS COMPLETED. (Per United Press Association) TIMARU. March 9. After throe days of brilliant sunshine South Canterbury experienced wintry condition*? during the week-end. Up to 4 o’clock on Saturday afternoon combtions were perfect, but then a sudden change took place._ Rain set in in the evening, and continued throughout the night and the greater part of yesterday. Up to 9 o’clock this morning the fall has been 2,12 inches. This has brought the rainfall during the present year to 13.37 inches, compared yvith 4.80 inches for the corresponding period of last year. The latest downfall yvill do much to complete the damage to yvheat crops caused by the first rainfall.