AUSTRALIAN FLOODS

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24592, 14 June 1945, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN FLOODS

THOUSANDS OF HOMES INUNDATED SEVEN PERSONS DBOWNEI? SYDNEY, JunM**; Seven persona were drowned.' sad damage estimated consesvativsty ft more than £1,006,000 has beett done in one of the most disastrous tow* ever known on the coast of northsrn New South Wales. \ Torrential rains during the last weak have caused riverheights to rise; •»■ much as 37 feet. In tne TwCed/rivar alone, more than 300 squareipuea <« country has been inundated, and hundreds of prime dairy retire have been lost, The flood damage in the Lismon district is' estimated at £500,000, Eight thousand residents of a town'i through which the Richmond river is sweeping JikeatidM-ffood/have be*n forced from their homre> and Royal Australian Air Force bave parachuted supplies to .thenL A .wmnan and her four young children; were drowned when a boat in which they were being taken to safety- capsized. In between the Sichmotm and Chuv ence river areas thousands of bpmre have been flooded. Maiiy residents of these areas are marooned on their housetops. Hundreds of cars wee abandoned wben they were caught by the rising floods, ana many have been: swept away. Three email ships have been driven ashore by t gales and heavy seas, which have lashed the New South Wales coast Even inside' Sydney Harbour huge seas yesterday caused the suspension of some ferry services. In the suburb of ColUroy three bouses collapsed into the sea last night, while other homes lost verandas, bathrooms and walls. 1 The electric lights were still burning in one cottage as it began,to move bodily out to sea. Because colliers have been unable to bring coal from Newcastle, the supply of gas to many parts of Sydney is likely to cease on Friday; Floods in the producing areas will also cause shortages in the city’s meat, vegetable and milk supplies. Up to 10 inches of rain has fallen in the city’s catchment area during the last five days. In this period Sydney has gained seven months’ water supply, and the dams are overflowing. • In Melbourne, the heaviest fog for many years has disrupted motor and train as well as air traffic. Weather conditions throughout the coastal area of New South Wales are now improving. Inland, the stricken drought areas have received little of the rains.