FLOODS IN CANTERBURY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 300, 18 December 1937, Page 9

FLOODS IN CANTERBURY

Little River Areas Under V/ater SETTLERS PREPARE TO EVACUATE W ATERS RECEDE QUICKLY. f Per Press Association. J CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 17. Streams swollen into heavy torrents rushed down the valleys behind the Little River township all today and spread out over the low-iy-ing farm lands in a flood almost comparable with those of early 1936. Several families made hurried preparations to leave their homes, and in the Kaituna district nearby some were forced to do so for fear of the rising water. The situation at one stage caused anxiety, but by evening the heavy rain of two days’ duration had eased and the flood waters were quickly receding. Heavy rain was general throughout Canterbury to-day, particularly in the coastal areas, but no serious flooding was reported apart from that at Little River. The general opinion among farmers is that there has now been sufficient rainfall for the present. The heavy rain set in on Thursday night and was accompanied by raging winds. By this morning the mam creek at Little River and the watercourses down other valleys were bearing huge volumes of water, and there was every indication of serious flooding. Stock was hurriedly moved to higher levels, where it was kept in safety throughout the day and tonight. The creek behind the old police residence poured right through the building from back door to front, forcing the men who were camping there to leave hurriedly. The campers were men working on the new post office building, which was itself surrounded by water. Timber for the building began floating away, and the workmen were busily occupied in gathering it together.

Along the main road the waters flowed in a stream two and a-half feet and, in places, three feet deep. Motorists were held up for some time, but by this evening they were able to get through. The flood waters entered a grain store but did not find their way into the shops, shopkeepers having barricaded their doors. The water entered one home in the afternoon but the flood dropped just in time to avoid the necessity of evacuation.

The Kaituna settlers were threatened with a repetition of the previous heavy floods, and two families left their homes, spending to-night elsewhere. The road was under several feet of water and the floods were well up round the post office at Ataahua. Had the rain not eased considerably in the late afternoon, some of the settlers would have founr themselves in a serious plight.