WEEK-END STORM

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 77, Issue 6974, 6 October 1948, Page 8

WEEK-END STORM

INCESSANT RAIN AND HIGH WINDS CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE Last weekend was the most boisterous experienced in the Kawhia district for a considerable time past, the full brunt of the equinoctial gales at their height being felt. Rain fell practically throughout Saturday, and continuously on Sunday, when the fall was exceptionally heavy. The easterly wind reached, at times, hurricane force, and. at full tide on Sunday night and again on Monday morning whipped the harbour into a seething mass of water. The impact was severely felt on the harbour foreshore from the wharf to Maketu Pa; the foot-track was almost completely destroyed, while on the track to the hillside a long crack has appeared. It is understood that this work cost the Town Board in the vicinity of £lOO, probably all of which is a dead loss. It is apparent that the Town Board will be faced with a difficult problem to Iceep this track open. It certainly seems beyond the slender finances of the Board, and, maybe, State assistance will have to be sought. The heavy seas played havoc with the small craft, a number of which sank at their moorings, while a small fishing boat belonging to Mrs W. Bell of Pirongia, was damaged irretrievably.

On the Kawhia-Te Awamutu Road beyond the residence of M'r A. McAlister on the Oparau side, a big slip came down, and the Works Department had immediately to send out its gang to clear the road.. One big rock boulder was with difficulty jacked over on to the harbour bank.