TRAFFIC INTERRUPTED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 13, 16 January 1936, Page 8

TRAFFIC INTERRUPTED

LARGE AREA INUNDATED I (Per Press Assoclat on. ] WHANG ARE I, Jan. 15. | Extraordinary flooding occurred in ihe far north yesterday, the. rivers and drainage cuts being unable to cope with rhe water which rose verv rapidly. Large, areas of Ifcrd adjacent to Kaitaia. were converted into a lake covering hundreds of acres. A few fences were washed away, but no stock losses are reported. On some properties milking was impossible, last night and stock had to be. moved to higher land. All except the Crown, Kaitaia's main street, were. under water, which lapped round t.he shops but did not enter, thus alleviating the anxiety of business men. The greatest Joss at Kaitaia was the collapse of a portion of the Croquet Club's property. An area 60ft. long and 6f l. deep slipped, damaging i probably beyond repair the club's best green. Traffic was held up near Kaitaia, , at. Kawakawa, where the. flats were under water, and at Taheke, on the Kaikohe Rawene route, where a bridge * was covered with four feet of water. These routes were clear to-day. Several slips occurred on other routes. Clearing work was commenced immediate’/ with bullock teams and access will shortly be restored. No serious damage is reported. The rainfall for 48 hours was 4.53 inches, making 8.89 inches for the t month. The average for January is I 3.57 inches. WHAKATANE DEPORT RIVER OVERFLOWS ( Per Pr««» Association. I WHAKATANE, Jan. 15. ; ! For the 48 hours to 9 a.m. 2.88 . inches of rain was recorded in Whaka i lane. As a result the Whakatane | River rose all day yesterday and overflowed its banks during the night, inundating low-lying areas and blocking traffic, on the Whakalane-Taneatua high wav, the water in two places covering the road to a depth of sft. Altiiough the storm has abated the river |is still slightly rising. Drains in the I White, Hush area, are commencing to I overflow and water is over the station , road, but it is still open to traffic. . A slip in the Wai mana. Gorge and flooding in the Waiotahi and Opotiki districts ar? holding up traffic, in that | direction. The Rangitaiki Rii’er is I well within its banks and there is no , flooding in that 1- lity. The roads to . Rotorua and Tauranga are open to traffic.