Houses And Shops Washed Away

Chronicle (Levin), 29 August 1949, Page 5

Houses And Shops Washed Away

( N.Z.P.A ,

—Reuter.

Many Families Cling To Rooftops

Copyright)

Reeeived Sunday, 7 p.m. SYDNEY, August 28. Disastrous floods in the north coast area of New South Wales have resulted in the deaths of at least two people. Many thousands are homeless. A sudden unpredicted rise in the Macleay River has plung-ed the greater part of Kempsey (population 7000) under water. The river is sweeing round and througTi the town at a speed estimated at 20 knots, destroying houses and submerged roads and creating a brown flood visible for 50 miles out to sea. Throughout last night over 20 families in Kempsey and the outlying areas clung to roofs as the water rose about them. Their position is regarded as desperate as in many plaees the cu^rent is too strong for l'owhoats or army* amphibians. Army dueks are attempting to reaeh them and R.A.A.F. planes will drop supplies. A helieopter is being made ready for service. The Navy has been asked to send a small vessel in from the sea.

The two believed drowned are a hov aged riine who v;as swept from a raft before his parents' eves, and a man who has been missing sinee he left home on Friday to muster cattle. The Sy dney-B risban e railway serviees have stop,pecl and the first division of the Brisbane express is stranded at Kempsey. Veliicles earrving hundreds of blankets and tons of food, have been dispatehed to the strieken area. The poliee in Kempsey have takou over all food and elothing supplies and have requisitioned all aeeommodation in the area, which is above water. The eurrent, which makes the use of even power boats dangerous, has alreadv lifted at least 15 houses from their foundations and deslroyed them. The serious nature of the flood was learned vesterday afternoon when the Xeweastle poliee received a dramatie message sent out by Ihe telegrnph operator in Kempsey before he was foreed to leave the kev. The message, which was relayed by land lines and poliee radio cars, read : — "Six dueks needed urgently AYesl Kempsey. Rush of water too strong for pulling boats. Htill raining and likely to eontinue. Tf dueks not sent immediately loss of life will probably be heavv. "There is 20 to 25 feet of water in the Main Streot. "River has risen 261 feet and is still rising. " Planes report that the town is •«divided into two islands. One pilot saw five people stranded on a rooftop in the middle of a swirling eurrent whieh threatened to uproot the house. An R.A.A.F. Tatai ina sighted several stranded families and dropped a rubber raft to one but the raft was swept away. Eight people were seen stranded on a bridge and others on sheds and houses. The eurrent was too swift for supplies to be

dropped but the Catalina made a suecessful drop of blankets and lifebelts in Kempsey itself.