FLOOD DISASTER

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 136, 5 March 1938, Page 11

FLOOD DISASTER

Dead Estimated At More Than 100 ENORMOUS DAMAGE AT LOS ANGELES Police Guard Against Looting By Telegraph-Press Assn— Copyright. (Received March 4, 8.40 p.m.) Los Angeles, March 4 The police estimate that from 100 to 125 persons have perished as a result of the Hood, which is the worst for half a century and ranks as oneof California’s major disasters. -t*? 115 " five of the dead have already been identified. ■ Many bridges collapsed whrle spectators were watching the floodwaters underneath. In one case warships off Los Angeles put out boats, turned on their searchlights, and picked up survivors when the bridge collapsed. Hundreds of motor-ears were engulfed, and sections of pavement down town were ripped up. Scores of homes were swept into the rivers and carried several miles. Floods poured down on the cinema lots in Universal City and north Hollywood, damaging hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of movie equipment. The Culver City and West Los Angeles lots were completely inundated. Looting occurred at Santa Monica and North Hollywood and police guards have been stationed with orders to shoot on sight all prowlers. Reports of looting have also been received from San Femadina Valley and the Venice district. The communities hardest hit by the floods are Los Angeles, Longbeach, Anaheim and Riverside. Hollywood is isolated, and 606 children are marooned at North Hollywood High School. Santa Anna, 40 miles from Los Angeles, is cut off and asking for help. Ten persons were drowned. Shortwave radio is the only means of communication over a wide area. The army and navy are gathering in refugees in Los Angeles, pitching tents and supplying food. A hundred people are marooned on an island in the river at North Hollywood. A huge whale floundering among the wreckage was a rubber studio prop. The flood began to subside late yesterday following a four-day cloud burst which poured an unbelievable quantity of water over the State, particularly the southern portion. The rainfall during the period was highest at Pasadena (26.85 inches) with 14.23 inches on Wednesday alone. Los Angeles on Wednesday received the smallest amount, 6.29 inches, and other centres received less than 10 inches. The total deaths may possibly never be determined, due to the innumerable landslides throughout the State and the fact that many bodies were swept out to sea. The area which was worst hit comprised 30,000 square miles, covering principally the rich citrus fruit belt. Although the storm is subsiding, each hour brings details of new inundations due to accumulation of water and the breaking down of dams, the latest being a break in the Santa Ania River levees which flooded five more towns and added immense property damage. The extent of the damage may now reach 100,000,000 dollars and the number of persons homeless is estimated at 12,000.