DISASTROUS FLOODS

Wairarapa Age, 7 May 1934, Page 5

DISASTROUS FLOODS

On Southern Side of Banks Peninsula LOW-LYING VALLEYS SWEPT BY DELUGE. CROPS AND SOIL CARRIED AWAY. PEOPLE DRIVEN FROM HOMES. CHRISTCHURCH, May 6. Disastrous floods occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning in the valleys and flats on. the southward slopes of Banks Peninsula, facing the shores of Lake Ellesmere. The total fall of rain in Christchurch was about four inches, the heaviest rain for four years at least, and most of the heaviest rain fell •in the early hours of Saturday morning. In the city, the damage was negligible. The Heathcote River was held back by a high, tide and stopped the outfall of two storm-water drains, and this led to streets being lightly flooded. Moorehouae Avenue and Spreydon ■were the parts most affected. When the tide receded and the rain slacken-1 ed, about noon on Saturday, ceasing altogether at four o’clock, the storm waters soon disappeared. None of the large rivers, which are all snow-fed, flooded at all and other rain-fed streams on the plains, while in a heavy (State, did no damage. VALLEYS DEVASTATED.

Excessive floods on the area below Banks Peninsula were caused by a rainstorm of extreme severity early on Saturday morning. Two beautiful little valleys, Price’s Valley and Kaituna Valley, were laid waste on their lower levels by raging floods. On the kill-tops and southern slopes, the terrific deluge caused a phenomenal runoff into the valley, and little streams which ordinarily wind slowly to Lake ■Ellesmere became fierce and swift torrents, sweeping all before them. In Price’s "Vfclley, six small bridges were either swept away or were damaged and haji their approaches scoured out. .The roads, where the current had passed over them, were stripped of shingle and turned into watercourses.. Whole areas of tilled land were completely Stripped of soil. One settler lost a field of eleveii acres of potatoes ready for digging. Not only were the potatoes washed out, but all the soil also. BOAD & RAILWAY DAMAGE.

The main road to Little River runs round the base of the hills, past the mouths of these valleys. The road was deeply flooded yesterday and is still imptymible to-day. The pressure of coursing down from the valleys Hoove, caused several washouts in the Little River railway line, fringing the lake, which acted as a stop bank. A small train was isolated. It passed oyer a culvert and the weight shook it in its already weakened eonidition and it was promptly washed away for a few chains. Further on, the train was stopped by another washout, so that it had to stay on its little island. The carriages have since been removed. A repair gang packed the culvert temporarily and the carriages were brought citywards, but the engine still remains there. The whole line is covered with debris, mostly logs and boulders, and will not be clear Until to-morrow.

At Little Rivqr, a low-lying township at the head of Lake Forsyth, the water rose to the level of the railway Station platform before it receded. On the main road through the township, )the water ran in- a five-knot current at a depth of two or three feet. Several houses were flooded and families had Ito be rescued in the early hours. Little news is yet available from the township, but it is stated that the damage 5s severe and that stoek losses are also Serious. But for the low level of both Lake Forsyth and Lake Ellesmere, which allowed the flood waters to get away, the damage would have -been anueh more severe. A DOMINATED PLAIN. On the slopes where this torrential rain fell, the land rises from the plain fairly steeply to a heignt of three .thousand feet, so that the extreme prefcipitation of moisture caused the floods Ito rise with alarming suddenness. Phenomenal rains fell at Motnkarrara. At the base of the hills, the rainfall was 12 inches; at Akaroa, 11.43 inches, and on tlie hilltops, where no records are available, the fall must have been even heavier. At Little ißiver, the following families had to leave their homes: Withers, Dawber, Louden, Rout, W. Lenthwaite, J. ’Mould. In Kaituna Valley: A Stephens, 8. Turner, T. L. A. Marsh. W. Parkinson. In Price’s galley: W. A. Gray, J. R. Parrish. In Pknte Valley two bridges have been swept away. In the Western Valley also two bridges were destroyed. ■ At iPeraki, Commander S. Hall had to leave his home. His tennis court, garden and shrubbery were swept awav. At Te Oke, Mr. Gordon Murray had his cow bails and ehaff house moved some chains away and lost all his winter feed. Many of these settlers lost stock but it is impossible yet even to estimate the total loss. The eareases of calves and sheep, pigs and hens lie scattered in the valleys, -but the total number may not be calamitous. (P.A.)

POSITION IN OTAGO. DUNEDIN, May 5. For over 48 hours continuous rain has been experienced in Otago, but practically no damage is reported. All outdoor sports except Association football has been postponed. Since the rain started tft 9.30 a.m. ion Thursday nearly three inches has fallen. The only damage in the city 5s the flooding of trench work carried nut by the Drainage Board. The river at Alexandra has risen three feet and is still rising.