FLOOD DANGER

Southland Times, Issue 21429, 25 June 1931, Page 7

FLOOD DANGER

NEW SOUTH WALES THOUSANDS OF ACRES' UNDER WATER WHEAT' BELT AFFECTED (United Press Assn.—By’ Telegraph—Copyright.) Sydney, June 24. Floods are again likely to assume serious proportions in the central anti southern inland rivers, as a result of further heavy rains. All the roads in the Urana district are impassable owing to flood waters from the Lockhart causing the water supply dam to overflow. Men are employed day and night keeping the whole structure from washing out. Twenty thousand acres of soldiers’ settlement land is covered to a depth of from two to eight feet. The Murray overflowed its banks at. Albury. The whole of the wheat belt in the eastern Riverina i$ affected. Gannain is expecting the biggest flood in years. The huge Burrunjack dam is filled to its utmost capacity. DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS PEOPLE DRIVEN FROM HOMES. ENORMOUS DAMAGE CAUSED. (Rec. 8.25 p.m.) Sydney, June 24. The latest reports from the flooded areas in southern New South Wales and northern portions of Victoria disclose deplorable conditions. Three hundred inhabitants of Wagga were driven from their homes and are sheltering in the showground. Passengers on the Melbourne-bound express are marooned at Junee owing to extensive washaways. All traffic by road and rail between Sydney and Melbourne is suspended. The Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers are heavily flooded, and it is feared that the flood will reach record proportions. The Murray river is only a foot below record level. All the principal centres report that rain continues. Hundreds of miles of southern pastoral country are under water, tremendous destruction occurring. All along the Victorian border land is submerged for many miles. Thousands of acres of dairy land in the neighbourhood of Woodonga have been submerged for a fortnight now. The Federal capital is threatened with the worst flood in its history owing to the overflowing of the Molonglo river. TWO DROWNING FATALITIES. (Rec. 1.5 a.m.) Sydney. June 24. Two are already drowned, Alfred Hicks, aged 50, at Culcairn, and Cyril Underwood, aged 30, near Orange.