STORM ANO FLOODS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1924, Page 6

STORM ANO FLOODS.

WATER SWAMPS SHOPS. HEAVY RAIN AT MASTERTON. SLIPS ON RIMUTAKA ROAD. THE TOWN IN DARKNESS. By Telegraph—Press Aasodation. Masterton, Last Night. Following 36 hours’ incessant rain the low-lying portions of the town are flooded. Shops on the lower side of the main street are swamped in a foot of water, and late this evening there waa no sign of the water subsiding. The district was visited with a severe thunder-storm and electrical activity, which added to the inconvenience by disjointing the electric service, the town being thrown into complete darkness. Though the rain was not abnormally heavy % it has not ceased for a monent in the last 36 hours. : The rain continued throughout tne night, at midnight falling heavier than at any . period during the day. Five inches" have been recorded since I) a.m. Slips are reported on several arterial roads. The Rimutaka Hill road has been washed out for a hundred yards near tlie Featherston side. The road, it is believed, will be closed for a week. Considerable traffic from Wellington had to return on thia account. The Korarau stream, from where Wairarapa’s power is derived, rose to an enormous height and washed out a bank at the side of the power house. The cause of the failure of the light was due to the machinery being submerged four feet in water. It is understood that it will not be in action again for two days. RAIN DAMAGES STOCK. CHRISTMAS GOODS SUFFER. DOWNPOUR IN WANGANUI. Wanganui, Last Night. A phenomenal downpour about sit o’clock this evening caused considerable damage to a number of business places, which were deluged greatly to the detriment of Christmas stocks. In one leading drapery establishment the damage is estimated at some hundreds of pounds. The sewers were unable te cope with the storm water, with the result that the streets resembled lake®.