OPOTIKI FLOODED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16768, 29 June 1925, Page 12

OPOTIKI FLOODED.

THE WAIOEKA AGAIN

TRAFFIC STOPPED AND BUSINESS PARALYSED.

Tho flashing of car lights and tooting of horns about half-past two o’clock Thursday morning roused sleeping humanity ancl caused it, tcwonder what had gone wrong with the local section of the universe, reports tlie Opotiki Herald of Friday. Bad news trave's fast, and by 3 a.m. most residents know that they were in for another flood. Back in the ranges exceptionally heavy rain had fallen, and this was responsible for the rising of the rivers which apparently commenced about midnight and continued till throe o’clock on Thursday afternoon. The 1 Waioeka was again much more prominent than the Otnra. The latter flooded the low-lying area north of Kelly street, but the former swept over practically the whole country north of King street. The water extended along Churcln street as far as the Post Office, but just managed to get into one or two shops without doing any damage. All day the main thoroughfare was paraded by a somewhat exenable crowd, for the vising of tho rivers docs not conduce to serenity of'temperament. No one on 'this occasion was caught napping, and consequently there were no commercial losses. Outside the town, however,- some slight Josses of stock ure reported, and as usual fences have been knocked about. A peculiar feature about, yesterday’s flood was its long duration. Generally the rivers sweep down quick and lively,' and get away again with equal despatch, but on this occasion the Waioeka rose slowly, for something like 14 hours, and when the fop of the flood was reached hung fire for a couple of hours before there/ was any appreciable drop. Although quite serious enough, yesterday’s flood was about Jthreo feet lower t-hiiri its. predecessor, and comparatively little debris was brought down and but a small quantity of timber. Damage has been done to the 'roads as a, matter of course, and'thi* usual public service cars had perforce to take a day off. Darkness set in with the countryside still under water. The rain, which had been intermittent all day, came (Town solidly shortly after four o’clock, and the more pessimistic anticipated further troublo during tlie'night, with am _ incoming tide and a heavy sea running. Fortunately, however, the wind veered round to tho south, the sea went down, and the flood waters, had a clear runout. The good old horse yesterday once more demonstrated his usefulness. Whero a car could not go a hors* could, and a number of gallant' youths constituted themselves an equine brigade, ’and conveyed divers forlorn damsels to their destinations.

The Opotiki-Wliakitane road is blocked. There is a big washout in the Waimana gorge, and traffic between Tanoatua and Whakatane is suspended owing to the depth of water on the lowlving portion of the road. To-day tho Rangitaiki river is rising rapidly. Yesterday the cars attempted to getthrough, hut were stuck up in the river. There is a- large slip at Papamoa and several minor ones.

This year of grace has now established a record, and not a desirable one. For the first lime in Onotiki’s history there have been two floods in one year—let us hope there will be no more.