FLOODS IN N.S.W.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16227, 29 December 1926, Page 7

FLOODS IN N.S.W.

INCESSANT RAINFALL RACES POSTPONED (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United P rem AamJ (Received December 29, 10 n.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 28. Incessant drenching rain continues, , the whole State participating. A j rough sea is running, hampering shipping. Some of the rivers are flooding and the railways are hampered by numbers of washaways. To-morrow’s Tattersall’s races | have been postponed owing to the j flooding of the course. Thousands of Christmas campers w r ere flooded out, and were driven home. The rain was exceptionally heavy in tho Newcastle district, and some of the low-lying parts round the town are submerged, numbers of people being flooded out. Boats were sent to rescue marooned families. WTDF. AREA STTRME.RfiE.TI

MANY PEOPLE HOMELESS (Received December 29, noon)’ SYDNEY, December 28. Torrential rains benefitted the whole State, but caused heavy floods in many parts. The town of Uessnock and suburbs of Newcastle suffered severely, and scores of people were rendered homeless. There were many thrilling rescues. Bain falling without cessation for 48 hours submerged all the low-lying parts of Newcastle, and the district, causing damage estimated at many thousands of pounds. Belmont, a holiday resort on Lake Macquarrie, is cut off from Newcastle, both by rail and by road, owing to sections of the line and road submerging. So rapidly did the Hood waters rise that the safety of the inhabitants was jeopardised. As the local.municipal authorities had made no provision for rescue work in the event of floods the work had to be taken over by the Newcastle police. | Water police manned skiffs, and rowing up and down the flooded streets rescued householders, i As the rain continues it is anticipated that the position will become more acute. Reports from all parts of the country state communications are greatly interrupted, many washaways on the railways disorganising traffic. Cessnock was flooded without warning, the waters rising so rapidly that the residents barely had time to escape from their submerged homes. In one case the police had to swim 100yds to rescue a family whom they pulled into -boata by ropes. | Many miners with their families, encamped in a garden suburb north of for the holidays, had to evacuee as their tents were torn down by a cyclone which accomplished the floods. So far only one fatality is reported. An old man living in a tent at the foot of the Liverpool range, near Murrnndi, was drowned while attempting to cross a . flooded gully. I Further floods and heavy gales are anticipated, and flood warnings l)ave been issued in all parts of the country.