SEVERE FLOODING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18960, 10 March 1936, Page 8

SEVERE FLOODING

RAIN IN CANTERBURY

LITTLE RIVER'S PLIGHT

TOWNSHIP ISOLATED

4FT. OP WATER IN STREETS

(Per Press Association.)

CHRIST/CHURCH, last night

Heavy rain which lias fallen almost ecmtinuously since Saturday night has caused unusually severe flooding. The Ashley Biver, which caused serious damage in the floods a fortnight ago, is again in flood, but no grave damage is vet reported. One small bridge over the Kowai Stream, between Ashley and Sefton, litis been washed away. With streams sweeping down like great, torrents into the township and Lake Forsyth rising to meet them, the people "of Little River were faced to-night with the prospect of having to leave their homes at any moment. The flooding was even greater than at the time of the disastrous floods in Mav, 1934. All day, a relentless driving ram beat upon the township and brought the streams down at a terriffic pace, filling the streets with water to a depth of three and four feet. The situation became acute this evening, when Lake Forsyth, which had been at a low level, began to rise. Late this evening it was within a foot of the road and, if the rain continues throughout the night, the residents of the township will likely be faced with a serious plight. They had all their furniture piled up high in their homes and were ready to leave at any moment. Two, in fact, were forced to leave late in the afternoon, when water to a depth of 2in. lay on the floor.

STOCK MAROONED IN TRUCKS. Tlio township was rapidly isolated. The Ewe Fair, which was to have been held there, was abandoned. Early in the morning, the owners began to remove the sheep, but had filled only 12 trucks when the water rose so rapidly that they had to stop work and swim the rest of the sheep out. The stock on the trucks was soon marooned and had to be left there all night. It was feared that many would die of cold overnight, although the water was not high enough to enter the trucks. Service cars to Akaroa could not get through to-day, and the railway line was also flooded. A train which was conveying stock to the Little River Ewe Fair is isolated at Birdling’s Flat owing to wash-outs on the line. The road at Kinlo’ck is 411. under water and several slips have occurred. DAMAGE TO CROPS. The rain is very unwelcome in the country. Very little wheat remains ur.garnered, but the rain will complete the damage of ft fortnight ago to the grain still out in the fields. The worst damage from the present rains may be to the potato crops, some of which were rotting already after the rains of tlie last storm. The losses of potatoes may be considerable. At many points on the main south road, stormwater was lying to a depth in places of 18in. In the city much surface flooding occurred. The Heatheote River overflowed its banks over the low-lying lands. One family in Western terrace removed their furniture and leit the house. Other flooding caused discomfort to residents, but there was little or no damage. The rain continues unabated. About 2in. of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours.

WINTRY CONDITIONS AT TIMARJJ A Tininru message states that after throe days of brilliant sunshine, South Canterbury experienced real wintry conditions* during the week-end. Up to 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, conditions 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 H o'clock this morning the fall has been 2.12 in. This brought the rainfall during the piesen! year to 13.37 in., compared with l.OSin. for the. corresponding period of last year. The latest rainfall will do much to complete the damage to wheat crops caused by the first rainfall.