In Wake of Snow, Flooded Rivers Spill Over Flats

Although snow itself, melting, would have brought no more than a fresh in the Waipaoa River, the torrential rains which followed the snow soon created a serious flood threat. By Thursday evening all tributaries of the Waipaoa and Hangaroa were in high spate, and in another 12 hours the worst' flood since 1948 was heading for the flats. In the lower reaches the water levels rose almost to the 1948 marks, and maintained this high peak for a lengthy period. Catching the river improvement works still uncompleted, the flood spilled over in a number of places and much land was inundated.

View along Tiniroto road from ramp at south end of new Matawhero bridge shows truck swept off road by force of water.

Highway was almost blocked on Gisborne side of ramp by water coming from river at bridge site.

Most spectacular mishap of the flood was on the Tiniroto main road. Where highway runs near Hangaroa river at "the island", not far from the notorious "bluffs", this grader, prophetically named "Clamity", slid stern first into the river when the road gave way under its not inconsiderable weight.

A close-up view showing rear of grader in river.

Works Department men consider how machine may be pulled back on to road. Most likely scheme was to make cutting down bank beyond grader's front wheels, and haul it up with bulldozer. Note slip encroaching on the road in distance.

High above Hangaroa river, a Works Department bulldozer works in a sea of mud and slush to clear big slip on "the bluffs". It was while working on a job like this that the grader (previous page) got into trouble. Almost every secondary road in the area was put out of action by slips, and many homesteads were isolated for days. Out on the coast, the railway was cut by a slip which took away over 300 feet of the line, and almost carried a goods train with it.

A view from near the new Matawhero bridge, looking south towards the hills at flood's worst.

Looking over south end of new bridge towards Patutahi area, which was extensively flooded. Bridge ramp was island in a sea of water.

Typical of overflows from Waipaoa was this scene at site of new bridge. River (centre, beyond sheds) is spilling out all along its course on both sides. Here it flows strongly through construction company's establishment. Further north, flood water was five feet deep at the Te Karaka tunnel, and highway was blocked by deep water at Ormond dip.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 13 : July 28, 1955

In Wake of Snow, Flooded Rivers Spill Over Flats