HEAVY FLOOD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12109, 31 March 1910, Page 5

HEAVY FLOOD.

WAIPAOA RIVER OVERTOPS ITS BANKS. POVERTY BAY FLATS UNDER WATER. A SEVERE INUNDATION.

January, 1876, stands ip. the memory of the old inhabitants of the district as ah eventful month, because of the big flood that all the early settlers looked back upon -"as one of their most trying and exciting experiences. Another inundation of a minor typo occurred m March 1878, another m 1894, and again m July, 1206; there Avas a flooding of the flats, when, after a heaA'y fall of snow on the ranges, a warm' rainstorm brought a deluge. Again to-day Aye haA r e to chronicle another overflow, the Waipaoa river haying broken bounds at 6 o'clock last night and sent its storm waters scurrying across country to join the swollen Taruheru. The event was anticipated by tho majority- of settlers on the flats, who had obtained ample Avarning from the prolonged rainfall that something serious i Ava» bound to happen. Yesterday's reports of a sudden and substantial rising of the riA'er at Ormond and beyond, and the continuance of the heavy rain, Avhich had been pelting doAyn almost incessantly since Easter Monday afternoon, set all prudent people owning stock within the region likely to be subject to a visitation of flood removing their sheep and cattle to high, ground, and preparing their hon.es for. the entry of the waters. Last .night must have , been an extremely anxious night for many, for the. rain showed no sign of abatement arid the river rose .steadily and poured its waters m greater volume oA r er the country. In Gisborne it aavis one of the wildest nights known for many years, and the one topic uppermost m the minds of. all 'was to know how the country folk Avere faring. The telephone Avires AA'ere kept busily employed conveying solicitous enquiries from toAvn friends and carrying messages, some of . urgent appeal /or assistance from country dAvellers, Avho found the Avaters creeping on and into their, dwellings. Everybody waited anxiously for what the morning would reveal, and plans Avere discussed, by a. number of toAvnspeople for sending* help,- if necessary, as early as possible after daylight. The toAvn rivers rose very considerably, and at high, tide last night both the Taruhera and Waimata. streams had the biggest, fresh they have contained since the 1906 flood. It Avas clear from the rate of current m the former that the Waipaoa flood Avaters had reached it. Some fears Avere expressed - for the safety of the bridges, but they appeared to bo offering good -resistance to. the current. 'Hie more nervous of foot passengers hurried across. The Waipaoa river, as we have stated overflowed at 6 p.m., breaking OA'er its banks at the vulnerable points m tho country at Ormond and between Wae-Ten'ga-a'-hika. and Buishmcre. The". 'flood j waters awept through Pouparae and down past the Catholic Church at Makauri. Ah ; night fell the torrent was rapidly spreading. Settlers here and- there were seen busily engaged remoA'ing their stock. In Makauri district Mr Henry Tucker and a. number of other settlers drove their sheep and cattle to the northern side of the raiUvay embankment, where they were deemed to be i safe. By 9 o'clock last night the waters had surrounded the Waerenga-a-hika hotel. The whole of Makauri Avas reported to be flooded, the water being over 18 inches deep on King's road. From Patutahi news came that there was a great amount of surface water on the flats, that the Lavenham creek had overflowed, and that up the valley the low-lying river flats were covered with water.