DESPERATE PLIGHT OF MANY PEOPLE IN ENGLAND’S FLOODS

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 March 1947, Page 5

DESPERATE PLIGHT OF MANY PEOPLE IN ENGLAND’S FLOODS

RECORD LEVELS PASSED IN THAMES RIVER; OFFICIALS WORRIED

Received 10.30 p.m. LONDON, March 19 The level of the floods has not yet abated, but experts state that the water will recede if there is no more rain to-day. However, the forecast is for rain during the next two days. The Thames Conservancy Board has ceased to predict how the floods might develop. The record levels of 1894 have already been passed in many places and the river is likely to continue to rise. The Thames is three miles wide at Chertsey. A Conservancy Board official at ‘ Reading said: “We really are terribly worried. There is no saying what might happen.”

People in Abertillery (Monmouthshire), who a few weeks ago were queuing up for coal are now queueing up for cooling slates as a result of hurricane damage. A man who was returning with his wife in a boat to their home at Chertsey to collect bedding and food was diowned when the craft overturned. His wife was rescued. A soldier on demobilisation leave upon whom a church pinnacle fell during the gale on the night of March 16 died in hospital. Tn some parts of Maidenhead water is four or five feet deep. Telephones and the electricity supply have failed. The automobile Association said that roads were impassable through floods within a rough square with co 'ners at Holyhead, Grimsby. Torquay, and Harwich. Snow and ice are still blocking many roads and only one “priority route' is open to Scotland. SITUATION MORE CRITICAL.

The flood situation in the Fen Country is officially reperted to be more critical than yesterday. Farmers on Haddenham Fen. near Ely, were advised to leave their homes as flood waters crept towards them. Troops erecting sandbag barriers tried to prevent flood waters from two breaches in the banks of the Great Uuse linking up. If this occurred many thousands of acres near Cambridge would be flooded. More military “ducks” have reached Windsor to speed up the evacuation of families from homes to schools and halls. Dorney Village, which was dry last night, was to-day flooded, and families living upstairs are running short of food and water. Six army assault craft joined the emergency service, taking woikers from flooded Maidenhead homes to work. Floods surging down the Severn Valley threatened to convert Shrewsbury into an island by to-night London’s temperature was 54 degrees at 10 a.m., the highest since January 16. An “express” from Glasgow steamed slowly into Stranraer station with 18 weary passengers—five days, 18 hours, 50 minutes, late, says the "Daily Mail.” The train was buried in snow at Glenhilly and had been completely lost to the L.M.S. passenger control at Glasgow. The flocos have extended to at least 30 of 40 English c;» nties. Many rivers are still rising, threatening a further spread of the waters. In six Midland and -Vistern counties through which the Great Ouse flows and along the Trent, troops, villagers and townsmen, and in some instances women, trieo to stem the swollen rivers by plugging and build■iig emergency sanouag walls. Nearly 3000 men arc trying to keep back the Fenland floods, out as soon as they sandbag one danger point another appears. A 40 miles flood ben along the River Severn* has encreleu Shrewsbury. Volunteers are standmg by with boats to transport corkers shoppers and school chillier. Nottingham is almost isolated from the south. Water started to pour down a colliery shaft outside tne town, threatening 100 miners. Firemen useo heavy pumps to clear the shaft. An 11-years-old boy was swept away when he fell into the Trent. SEVERN IN RECORD FLOOD

The outlook at Worcester is very grave say ohicials. The Severn is only nine inches short of the record 1885 flood depth. Floods in the Nene Valley are described as the worst since 1897. It is estimated tnat more than 1000 persons hive lelt their homes in Reading. The mayor said that the flood was Reading's greatest oleaster in the last 300 years. Army "ducks” arrived at Reading to-night. Experts in the Thames Valley predicted that the waters would receue if there was no rain on the river.

Heavy snow was tailing at Edinburgh and in the Dunoar-stiriing area and blocked lines again and caused Scottish train cancellations. St. Neots, in Huntingdonshire, is cut off from the rest of the country. There IS five leet ol water in the mam street. The River Weland, in Lincolnshire, exceeded a 60-year high-level record in Spalding, where the position is critical.