COAST LASHED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 117, 20 May 1933, Page 9

COAST LASHED.

CYCLONIC STORM.

MUCH DAMAGE IN N.S.W

Death and Injury in Traffic Due

To Bad Visibility.

BUSINESS PLACES FLOODED. (United I\A.—-Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. - The coast of New South Wales is being •lashed by a tropical cyclonic storm with driving rain, high seas and gales. Shipping is delayed. Last night's gale readied a velocity of 57 miles an hour. It is impossible to estimate the damage to property. George Street, city, suffered heavily. Shop floors were under water, and sand and sawdust barricades were erected against the floodwaters, while firemen were kept busy salvaging stock. A fireball struck a home at Boiuli and unroofed it. The evelone was particularly severe on shipping vessels which put to sea, but were forced to turn back. The Manly ferries were forced to cease running. "Stand off" signals had been posted at Wollongong and Kiama, where high seas have made the entrance of ships uncertain. A stormwater channel at Kensington suburb burst, and houses and shops in the business centre were flooded. Selfridges, in l'itt Street, city, had stock damaged to the extent of £3000, and many other shops had to remove sodden articles from the shelves. Thousands of late shoppers were drenched. Flood Warnings Given. Warnings of local Hoods have been issued, both in the northern and southern coastal towns. Conditions are expected to improve over the week-end. Reports from all parts of the city and suburbs disclose heavy damage through last evening's deluge, when two inches of rain fell in an hour and 3i inches in two hours. Rain is still pelting down and causing flooding ill all low-lying areas. Damage estimated at £2000 was done in a Waterloo factory where the stock was drenched. Water four feet deep is lying in Anzac Parade, Randwick, and most of the racecourses and football grounds are inundated. There were numerous mishaps in streets where motor cars were out of action. A workman was run over and killed by a tram on the harbour bridge owing to the bad visibility. Three other persons wero knocked down by trams for the same reason. The Wanganella was to have sailed for Auckland from Sydney yesterday afternoon but owing to the storm her departure was postponed till 11.30 p.m. Much-needed rain has fallen or is falling inland, and where it was most required in Victoria. This has brought relief to wheat growers and pastoralists.