TORRENTIAL RAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26779, 24 May 1948, Page 4

TORRENTIAL RAIN

WAIRARAPA DISTRICT RIVERS BURST BANKS P.A. MASTERTON, May 23. Torrential rain last night and to-day on already sodden ground caused serious flooding throughout the Wairarapa. In some parts, the flood is the worst for many years. Some rivers have broken their banks and large areas have been flooded. Big slips have caused considerable damage to roads, many of which are blocked, and other roads are impassable owing to rivers and creeks having swept across them. No losses of stock are yet reported except at Te Whaiti where some sheep were marooned and drowned. In the danger spots of the Wairarapa in the southern part of the district which suffered heavily last year, the full force of the flood waters has not yet been felt. Thanks to the alertness of the Wairarapa Catchment Board in warning settlers in the southern areas on Saturday night that flood waters were approaching from the north, they were able to move their stock to safety after strenuous work in heavy rain. The policy of the Catchment Board in making a new opening at Wairarapa Lake resulted in the flood waters escaping to the sea more quickly and keeping the lake at a lower level than it would otherwise have reached. To-day the lake was about two feet below the level of last June. „ , . , , The full force of the flood waters in the rivers may not reach South Wairarapa until later but the easing off of the rain late to-day is expected to reduce the volume of the rivers by to-morrow. . The heaviest downpour in the northern part of Wairarapa was between 11 p.m. on Saturday and 2 a.m. to-day, with miniature cloudbursts experienced at intervals. Some districts report from four to six inches of rain during that period. The streets in Masterton were flooded with stormwater last night and to-day.