SERIOUS FLOODS

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1935, Page 4

SERIOUS FLOODS

DAMAGE AT HOKITIKA PARTS OF. TOWN INVADED TERRIFIC FALL OF RAIN TEN INCHES RECORDED BRIDGE WASHED TO SEA By Telegraph—Press Association. Greymouth, Last Night. A great transformation to-day in the northern portion of Westland county from the drought conditions of the past few months was wrought by torrential rains covering the watersheds of the Hokitika, Arahura and Teremakau Rivers, also streams south of Hokitika. Over much of that area the rainfall has exceeded 10 inches since yesterday. Every. stream is flooded to the banks or higher, but the waters were -very largely ' concentrated in the Hokitika River, which rose to record height, overflowing into Gibson Quay, Tancred, Fitzherbert, Sewell, Hamilton, Bealey and Weld Streets and inundating the whole of the lower-lying part of the town and ; the adjacent river and sea-front. The flood cut away the 60ft southern span of the Kanieri bridge, three miles from Hokitika. The structure had' stood for over 60 years. Part of the span stuck against the Hokitika railway bridge, the rfarger portion going bodily over the bar. '■ The Hokitika post office this afternoon had nearly a foot of water on the floor, while some houses had more than three feet over the floors. Business is at a standstill. The town was cut off both north and south by rail before 8 a.m., ./ no train leaving there, while a train .- from Greymouth was held up four miles from Hokitika by washouts water on the line. No mails or other freight could be taken across during the day because the main highway further inland at Stafford had suffered ever far worse than the railway, due to the breakaway of the large Stafford dam. This washed out the roadway entirely and destroyed the bridge, the stream continuing across the road for some hours and bringing with it trees and other debris. A number of motors are held up and the damage will probably take days to repair. RAILS ON BRIDGE MOVED. A train from Ross encountered much water at Ruatapu but came on as far as k the Hokitika railway bridge, the rails ” on which had shifted, preventing , ths crossing. > A good deal of erosion has occurred in Hokitika streets, but the waters late this afternoon were receding. The town’s water supply was cut off by slips between there and Lake Kanieri which carried away 12 chains of pipe line. Many residences in the flooded portion of Hokitika will suffer losses. Gangs of . men are engaged by business firms shifting goods in the shops. The Hokitika Guardian office had a foot of water in the machine room and lost several reels of paper.

A bridge on the Kanieri Lake Road was carried away. The Hokitika Anglican Church vicarage and the school were flooded. People negotiated the streets in boats as the water was too deep for motors. - -- ■

At Greymouth 2.77 points of rain fell in tiie 24 hours to 9 a.m. to-day; from then until 8 p.m. the fall measured 180 points. . . . .. North of Greymouth there was heavy rain but not sufficient to cause much damage. All trains and road traffic were able to get through. The Grey River and Sawyers Creek are both swollen, and in the town itself there is some flooding in the streets due to the watertables being inadequate to carry the rainfall

OTIRA ROAD BLOCKED. The road to Otira is blocked by slips and a bridge is damaged. Motors will be unable to get through for a day or two. Telegraphic and telephonic interruptions were intermittent to-day owing, to slips, but were restored to-night. A slip at Turiwhati Bluff on the Otira Road blocked the road. A culvert had been badly washed out. The occupants narrowly escaped when a slip came through on to the Tracey homestead at Wainihinihi. ; The English women cricketers, who arrived on the West Coast yesterday from Christchurch, left the train at Otira, intending to go to the glaciers by car, but they were held up on the way and will now leave by the express for Christchurch to-morrow.

Full details of bridge and road damage in the Westland County are yet unavailable owing to the interuption of communications, but it is generally agreed that the flood is the worst in Hokitika’s history. Although there has been heavy rain in the Buller district the damage is not nearly so great as further south. A washout occurred four miles above Lyell on the Buller Road, and it is understood cars will not get through to-morrow. It may be necessary to revert to the Maruia route.

A wash-out has occurred at Dirty Mary’s Creek on the coastal road, but ’ the new bridge under construction is available for traffic. A slip has occurred at Konini Creek, on the Karamea route, holding up traffic except by cars meeting on each side of the slip. The acting-Director-General of the Post Office advises that he has received a communication stating: A 60ft span of the Kanieri bridge is floating partly submerged li miles west of the Ifokitika bar and may drift north. It is. of extreme danger to shipping. The Gael is reported to be in the vicinity of Hokitika.