OHURA ISOLATED

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1933, Page 6

OHURA ISOLATED

COMMUNICATION BROKEN RESULTS OF HEAVY RAINFALL NORTH TARANAKI SUFFERS FIVE INCHES IN 24 HOURS SOME DISTRICTS FLOODED The heaviest rain that has been re* corded for many years fell in parts of Taranaki during the week-end. Floods resulted in places and slips have blocked ~ roads and railways. The rain eased m North Taranaki yesterday afternoon but there was no cessation in the Ohura. district where, with communication cut off on either side, Ohura was isolated. A total of 5.01 inches of rain feU at, Inglewood during the 24 hours ending at 9 a.m. yesterday, and was the heaviest fall since 1923. Rain was again falling at Ndw Plymouth late last night. The Otunui Road bridge, which was erected after the big floods in the centre of the North Island last March, was impassable yesterday and- cars- proceeding to Taumarunui were forced to return to Ohura. The Okahukura tunnel on the Stratford-Main Trunk railway line was blocked by a slip at the Ohura end and the Tuhua low-level bridge was reported to be under water. These mishaps con- , tributed to isolate the town of Ohura from the surrounding districts. The most apparent serious results of the rain in North Taranaki were a big slip on the New Plymouth-Auckland main road at Tongaporutu and the flooding of part of the district about Uruti and the Karaka Flat at Waitara. All rivers were heavily swollen and were running at levels several feet above normal. This was partly due to the fact that the rain, brought by a northerly wind, was warm and melted a considerable quantity of the snow on Mount Egmont, from which most of the rivers in North Taranaki are fed. HEAVY FALL AT INGLEWOOD. The fall at Inglewood commenced late on Friday evening and continued until yesterday morning, when the weather cleared considerably. By 9 a.m. on Saturday 2.09 inches had been registered, and by the same time yesterday 5.01 inches, making a total of 7.10 inches in approximately 36 hours. At Miss Trimble’s residence, “Riversdale," 6.87 inches fell up to 9 a.m. yesterday. The fall of 5.01 inches on Saturday and Sunday is the heaviest for 24 hours experienced in Inglewood since January 21, 1923, when exactly seven inches fell. Nearer the coast the fall does not ap- jj pear to have been so heavy, records taken at Waiongona and Mangamahoe not approaching anything like those at Inglewood. A total of 5.37 inches was registered at Mr. W. B. Fussell’s, Waiongona, while at Mangamahoe - only 3.81 inches were recorded during the 48 hours up to 9 a.m. yesterday. That, however, was the heaviest fall for two consecu- ’ five days this year, and the 2.33 inches recorded from Saturday morning to. Sunday morning was the most since last October. Rain was still falling heavily at Mangamahoe yesterday morning and chough no measurements were taken after that it was believed that a further inch or njore fell during the day. All rivers throughout the Inglewood district were in high flood yesterday. All through North Taranaki the levels of rivers and streams rose astonishingly quickly. The level at the intake at Lake Mangamahoe rose from its normal level of 2ft. 6in. to about 17ft. yesterday morning, but in the early afternoon the " level had dropped to about eight feet. The lake was very full and much water was flowing over the spillway. Water was shut off from the lake early in the morning and the gates were still closed last night, as the Mangamahoe stream remained high. FLOOD IN WAITARA RIVER. A heavy fresh was running in the Waitara River and at high tide yesterday afternoon a large portion of Karaka Flat at the foot of Big Jim’s Hill was under water. A large quantity of driftwood was coming down the river. As a result of the heavy fresh in the river the channel at the river entrance, which has been running to the north, should now be straight, which will be welcomed by masters of shipping negotiating the river entrance. • ' Flooding occurred also in. the Uruti Valley, where practically the whole of the township was under water late yesterday afternoon. The main road was covered to a depth of 18 inches in places, and in the darkness motor-cars which had just been enabled to come through found it difficult to keep to the road. : The mud roads into the back country were in a deplorable condition, it was reported, not having recovered from the effects of the drenching the district received two or three months ago. Another part of the Main North Road which is generally subject to floods, the few miles about Pio Pio, was not affected, it was reported by drivers who cante from Auckland yesterday. The most serious effect of the rain, as far as communication with tire north was concerned, was a large slip which blocked the road a short distance on the north side of the bridge over the Tongaporutu River. There a . bank of papa fell, bringing down with it a tangled mass of trees and scrub. Traffic was held up and by the time sufficient space for cars to pass was cleared by half a dozen men who were employed there was a string of about 40 motor vehicles waiting to cross. Service cars which usually reach New Plymouth from Auckland at about 6 p.m. were delayed for f an hour and a-half and finally reached, their destination a little before seven o’clock. Apparently the result of a heavy rain, thick fog lay over parts of Central Taranaki last night. Delay was caused to motorists, one party taking two hours to cover the distance from Eltham to Mangorei. Another car-load reported having had to send one of the passengers to walk ahead in one or two places where the fog was exceptionally dense. Hockey and basketball matches at New Plymouth and all golf matches in Taranaki were postponed on Saturday on account of the rain, but football matches in the three codes, Rugby Union, Rugby League and Association, were played. A slip in the Noonan Gorge isolated Whakamara, South Taranaki, settlers for some hours yesterday. It is expected the slip will be partly cleared a<ay' this morning. About 50 yards of the hillside came down -early yesterday morning about half-way up the Hawera side of the gorge. As this is the only winter road into the district, the Ingahape Road being impassable in winter* settlers were unable to get out for some hours. Later, however, several parties walked over the slip and caught cars on the other side. The county engineer, Mr. A. Mugger- / ■ idge, was unable to assemble a sufficiently large gang yesterday, but made arrangements for a start soon after daybreak this morning. It is anticipated that a narrow track for a single vehicle will take about three hours to cut. It will, however, be a matter of days before the road is fully cleared by the large gang of workmen. . - - -