GISBORNE FEARS FLOOD

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1933, Page 6

GISBORNE FEARS FLOOD

NINE-WEEK DROUGHT BROKEN DOWNPOUR SINCE WEDNESDAY. WAIMATA 20 FEET ABOVE NORMAL WATER FOOT DEEP IN SUBURB. By Telegraph—Press Association. Gisborne, Last Night. Tn 48 hours the vicinity of Gisborne has been transformed from a droughtstricken area and there is now every indication of a flood. For nine weeks practically no rain has fallen and pastures in the country and .lawns at Gisborne were khaki-coloured, reminiscent of midsummer. Early this week the borough council prohibited the use of hoses for lawns and gardens. Now a transformation has taken place. Light rain commenced on Wednesday and increased to a heavy and continuous downpour, which gives no indication of discontinuance. Four inches have fallen in the past thirty hours. The Waimata River was to-night 20 feet above normal, reaching the level of the disastrous floods which occurred in February last year. The Waipaoa River has risen six or seven feet above normal Many settlers in the back country are very anxious and are removing stock to higher lands. At Mangapapa, a suburb of Gisborne, a foot of water covers the main road and adjacent lowlying area. At 10.30 p.m. to-night heavy rain was still falling. The north and south roads were reported passable, all cars getting through without trouble.