AUSTRALIAN FLOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19028, 27 May 1925, Page 15

AUSTRALIAN FLOODS.

PHENOMENAL RAINFALL. SIXTEEN INCHES IN A DAY. RACECOURSE INUNDATED. Particulars of tho recent floods in New South Wales show that some of tho districts affected experienced the greatest inundation recorded for over a quarter of a century. During the heaviest downpours, floodwater found its way into the Raudwick racecourse. Tho course was almost a sea at ouo time, and in places it was three feet deep. At various parts of tho training track (he llood waters ploughed them up for furlongs. Loads of cinders, which had been placed on tho tan rink for tho formation of a new foundation, wcro washed away, as wcro loads of tan. In places water a foot deep was rushing along tho various rinks. Part of tho steeplechase courso was almost submerged. The water on each sido of it was three feet deep in places. Seven and a-half inches of rain were registered on tho course between Saturday and Sunday nights. In Ilandwick itself the damage was considerable. Earth was in many cases washed away from tho foundations of buildings in course of construction. In the Kangaroo Valley tho flood was the greatest known siuco 1898. Fully 16in. of rain fell during tho 24 hours, and tho whole of the low-lying river and creek flats wero submerged. A largo amount of winter feed was destroyed, and corn crops suffered heavily. A 15-ton stack of hay was swept bodily away. Sufficient water was impounded in tho Sydney Water Board's reservoirs to last for two years without another drop of rain falling. Tho catchment area was deluged, and tho reservoirs filled up quickly. On tho previous Wednesday tho Nepean River was flowing at the rate of 5,000,0 CX) gallons a day. Now it was coming down at the rate of gallons—a thousand times greater. The Cataract River, below the dam, was flowing at tho rate of 203.000,000 gallons, making a combined flow of two rivers of 5,300,000,000 gallons. As it tunnels can tako only 150,000.000 gallons a day, 5,150,000,000 gallons were running to waste—thirty times as much as was impounded. One of the quickest rises in the Ilawkesbury River was a lift of 15in. in 20 minutes.