Floods Sweep Whole City Away

Chronicle (Levin), 1 June 1948, Page 5

Floods Sweep Whole City Away

(N.Z.P.A.-

— Reuter,

Disaster Cdmes With Little Warning

Copyright)

Received Tuesday, 11.30 a.m. NEW YORK, May 31. Unofficial estimates of the death roll at Vanport, in Oregon, are as high as 300. Vanport is now almost completely submerged by fiood waters 25 feet deep, and it is believed that all the city's hundreds of wooden structures have been destroyed or swept from their foundations. No official estimate of the death toll can be made until the refugees are checked and buildings and cars in the stricken. city are searched. Vanport s residents had little warning of the disaster.

Earlier in the day engineers had reported that the dyke containing the Columbia River wOuld hold, and that there was no need to evacuate the city. At 4.15 p.m. local time the dyke broke and sent a wall of water crashing down on the city's barrack-like buildings. Most of the city's residents fled in panic before the second and more powerful mass of flood waters crashed and toppled buildings. _ Vanport's deacl eannot be discovered until the flooded river goes down*. It is not due to reach its crest until tomorrow. The engineers were so confident that the dyke would hold that yesterday morning the city authorities distributed to every house a statement saying that no danger was expected. but in the event of the need to evacuate a siren would be blown The siren, however, gave only a 15-minutes warning before the first wall of water roared through the city, sweeping playing children off their feet, crushing houses and swiriing cars like toys in the brown torrent.