SUDDEN FLOODING.

Wairarapa Age, 24 August 1936, Page 5

SUDDEN FLOODING.

OVER CONSIDERABLE AREA IN NORTH AUCKLAND. CAUSED BY HEAVY RAIN & HIGH TIDES. TRAFFIC INTERRUPTIONS. WHANGAREI, August 23. .4 Nprthlaud to-day experienced its first flooding of major dimensions since January this year. The winter has been remarkably free from heavy rain and some of the normally wettest months have recorded a very small fall. Mild and humid rain began on Tuesday. Although it was fairly light in Whangarei, Otamatea and districts were well drenched. Last night a cold wind sprang up, accompanied by a heavy downpour which continued till this afternoon, when it ceased and fears of flooding subsided so far as Whangarei is concerned. Floods at Wayby held up the Auckland express, which eventually got through, reaching Whangarei two hours late. Floods throughout the north interfered with road traffic, most of the services being stopped, though the interruption is not expected to be lengthy. There are three feet of water on the road in .the Manngaturoto district. Six inches of rain fell in 24 hours at Kaikohe and in some places the flood waters are as deep as those recorded last Christmas. There was a torrential downpour in the West Coast area and Ruawai Hats, near Dargaville, is suffering one of its worst floods for many years, hundreds of acres of pasture being inundated. Several cowsheds are under water and bobby calves have found sanctuary on the tops of hay stacks. In the Maungakahia Valley, the Pakotai Bridge is seventeen under water. A service car coming south got through just in time. Most of the traffic hold-ups are due to a combination of high tides and heavy rain.—(P.A.) RAPID IMPROVEMENT. WATERS FALL AS QUICKLY AS THEY ROSE, AUCKLAND, August 23. Severe flooding in many parts of North Auckland, with consequent interruption of rail and road services and stock losses in some districts, followed on torrential rain which fell throughout the northern part of the province On ay ftn d Saturday. The rain on Saturday night in most with fine weather to-day ther# was marked improvement, the flood waters receding as rapidly as they had risen. The rainfall in the city fbr the 48 hours ended at midnight on Saturday was 6.39 inches, 4.14 inches having fallen since midnight on Friday. There was minor flooding in the city and suburbs. Heavy rain fell south of Auckland, particularly in the Franklin district, but the flooding was of a minor nature and no damage was reported.—(P.A.)