HEAVY STOCK LOSSES

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1935, Page 7

HEAVY STOCK LOSSES

FLOODS ON EAST COAST

FIVE FEET OF WATER IN NUHAKA

15 INCHES OF RAIN IN 18 HOURS.

POVERTY BAY MOST AFFECTED.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Napier, April 15.

The storm of the week-end was the worst for some years. Its widespread effect in Poverty Bay and Hawkes Bay late on Friday night and Saturday morning resulted in a good deal of flooding and also brought down slips along the Taupo and Opotiki roads. The district between Wairoa and Gisborne seemed to bear the brunt of the storm. At Morere six inches of rain fell in four hours. Rivers in some parts rose to surprising levels, sweeping away Stock grazing near the banks. It is expected that the stock losses may be heavy in this area. Reports from Nuhaka state that the storm there was the worst since 1910. In 18 hours 15 inches of rain fell. The low-lying area of this settlement suffered extensively. The mission station, two stores and several homes were flooded to a depth of up to five feet and the Nuhaka River overflowed its banks. A big area of land on the flat at Tahaenui was also inundated. Damage to the roadway near Nuhaka included the washing away of a large culvert, leaving a wide gash across the roadway. Heavy losses of stock are reported from Nuhaka. > The whole of northern Hawkes Bay was also swept by the storm, but with not’ such great force as the district further north. Nevertheless, in the past two days rivers have been carrying abnormal volumes of water. While there has been a great deal Of rain, little inconvenience has been caused in Hawkes Bay with the exception of the locality of Waitangi, where extensive areas of farm-lands were submerged by flood Waters.

HASTINGS-NAPIER ROAD BLOCKED.

With water rushing furiously, across the main Napier-Hastings highway, nothing but heavy motor-lorries and buses were able to get through, all lighter traffic having been forced to make a detour through Pakowai since Saturday afternoon. '

The fact that the flood waters rose slowly lessened stock losses, as farmers were given the opportunity of removing their animals to higher country. Falls in the back country were also exceptional, but no actual flooding was recorded on the higher levels. The heaviest flood experienced for mariy years occurred in the week-end in the Wairoa district, says a; Wairoa. message. A number of bridges Were carried away and culverts washed out. The Wairoa River is in high flood, the water almost reaching the level of the traffic bridge. A large amount of driftwood and timber was washed up on the benches at Tukemokihi. Mr. W. Neville, a farmer at Portland Island, who was proceeding to his home by launch with a load of stores, was reported missing, but is now reported safe at Mahia, where he was washed ashore with the launch. The highway to Napier is' open to traffic. Slips in the Tarewa Hills on the Wairoa-Gisbome Road are being removed and the passengers are being transferred. r

Though the rain set in on Friday, the effects of the storm were not felt to any appreciable extent on the flats between Napier and Hastings until’ ’' Saturday afternoon and, although the road traffic was interrupted, the railway services were not affected. All sports fixtures set down for Saturday at both Napier and Hastings had to be cancelled. Ever since Friday an angry sea has been pounding the shore of the coast between Napier and Gisborne, but shipping has not been interrupted to- any great degree. A report received in Napier on Saturday - stated that the strong south-west winds and heavy seas made the bar at Wairoa unworkable, and although there were definite indications of an improvement in the weather today, conditions remained bleak and showery.