FLOOD HAVOC

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 30 May 1925, Page 5

FLOOD HAVOC

HUNDREDS HOMELESS

HEAVY LOSSES FEARED

SHORTAGE OF PROVISIONS

BY CABLE —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPY RIGHi

Received May 30. 10.30 a.m. SYDNEY, May 30. Flood damage at Moruya is estimated at between £25,030 and £'30,000. Owing to the holding up of boats to Sydney there is a great shortage of many nrovisions and. other necessai les. Two* men were drowned at Junee. One was washed from the top or a corn-shed, and the other lost- his life while driving cattle to safety. At Gundagaf the waters have fallen three feet, but no very big fall expected for some days. Flood waters are receding at Wagga. The weather, fortunately, is mild. Hundreds of people are occupying temporary shelter schools and halls and are not suffering from cold, though conveniences for cooking and feeding are primitive. At Burrinjuck the water fell thirteen feet in twenty-four hours.

INVADED TOWNS

PRESENT SORRY SPECTACLE

WAGGA NOW INUNDATED. SYDNEY, May 2S. Wagga is now in the full grip of the flood, which is steadily increasing m volume, the up-river water pouring down all day and gradually invading the streets. An afternoon report states that a large part of the town, including the whole of North Wagga, is already under water. Streams many foet deep aie rushing through some of the streets, and lots of the main business places are submerged five or six feet. Huge pieces of debris smashed the flood barricades erected in front of shops, doing- serious damage. The people were warned in time and owing to the gradual rise in the water they were enab’ed to vacate their houses and stow most of their belongings safely before tliev were driven out. Rescuing and salvage work, assisted by a good supply of boats, proceeded actively throughout last night and to-day, and continues as the encroachment progresses. . T , , Two hundred families from North Wagga are camoed on the showground, and all the houses on high levels are crammed with refugees. Several thousands have been driven from their homes. The racecourse and park are deep under flood. A swirling river is carrying east the town the bodies of cattle, pigs and horses in large numbers. A citizens’ relief committee has been formed for the purpose of attending to the wants of the homeless. Wokolena, forty miles up the river, reported that the water had reached its maximum at 11 o’clock this morning and has since fallen two feet. The bulk of this water has sti'l to reach the Wagga before the position eases. Meantime a -rise of at least a few feet is anticipated, which means that a further large area will suffer. „ Queanbeyan, Yass, Guild a gab- and other invaded towns, where the floods have largely subsided, are sorry spectacles. Houses are full of filth, and the streets are choked with mud and fi’th and dead animals. The. damage is enormous everywhere. At Gundsfcgai it is estimated at £IOO,000, and at Yass £40,000. This does not- take account of the outlving districts, manv of which are still cut off and where the condition and amount of damage are unknown. Losses of stock in pastoral and farming areas are likely to be very heavy. The bodies of two men drowned at Gundagai and Queanbeyan have been recovered.

Luckily no further rain of consequence has fallen in the flooded areas, where communication is utterly disorganised. roads destroyed and telegraph and telephone lines washed away and otherwise destroyed. This dislocations are interfering with the transmission of cable news from southward. Advices from the flooded areas state that the electors in a number of cases will not be able to reach the booths tomorrow. The returning officers have the option of not opening the booths under such conditions, and it is nrobable that in these cases voting will be postponed til 1 a Inter date. Wncgn reports that, the flood reached its highest level at 9 to-night. Tt then commenced to fall.