Imperial Valley press., 1930-08-07
FLOODS
STRIKE:
CIT les
CIOudburst Over Sonora
And .Nogalcs Claims
Several Lives.
5000 ARE HOMELESS
Continued Rains Raise
Height OF Water In
American City.

NcGALES, AriI., Aug. I. U.R-
Two persons were dead, 10 missing,
and more than 5000 homeless today
as the result of clOudburst which
struck the twin cities of NoGales il
Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, early
today Property damage was estl-
mated at SJOo.0 .00J.
10 care for the refugees, the No
gales chapter Of thc American Red
Cross will ask national headquarters
in Washington, -. G., for 50 900.
The dead wer" Identified tcnta-
lively rs Jose Morclon and wife,
both 60 wears of agc.
Transportation INTO Mexico was
disrupted when thr flood waters car
ricd away more than 200 feet of
the main line track Of the Southern
Pacific of Mexico. Telegraph srrv-
lee was at Il Stand,til, and tclCphon"
and electric systems were crippled.
Shortly before IN =. M. the rear
of the Nclsco Hotel largest hostc!-
~ III the Sonora city, collapsed.
Continued failS this morning in
creased the height of water in the
american city. Offices of the No.
gales Herald aud Nogalcs Intcrna
tional. the citv's only newspapers,
were flooded, rs we'll rs city hall,
police station AM principal stores.
Raging FORESTS swept away th"
adobe huts Of native McNicans. Not
even Il trace of IN" earthcH building,
was left to Indicate the location of
some of the homes More than 80
of thcm were demolished.
Three baby cribs were carried on
the crest of the flood for more than
mile. hut rcseu" workers were un-
able to reach them. 1t was believed
the occupants were drowned.
Confusion rcigucd throughout the
two compuuities. Frantic parents
l.adiug frightened children were
brought to safety through the muddy
waters hv Mexican troops, police and
fire departments.
II was virtually impossible to
cross the international line. Inter.
national street, bi,cctcd lay the boun
darv fence. was - raging river. Th"
fence was twisted mass of wire
from the impact of the water.
At 5 =. m, siN hours after th"
flood struck, there was three feet Of
water in many places of the Amer
can town s husiuc.S district. In the
MEXICAN scttlcmcrt, five feet %
water was reported,
Merchants swan 10 their stores
and reported thousands of dollars Of
goods damaged. Sand and debris
combined with tn force of the Wa,
ter. had smashed every store window
on the main street of the Mexican
city. Furniture was carried from
stores aud sent >Wirliug down the
streets Easements of buildings in
10th cities were flooded with water
aud goods stored there DESTROYED. q,
With both Telephone and electric
lighting systems down, service was
disrupted throughout the night. In
adcquat" oil lanterns hindcrcd the
work of rescue workers.
The only communication with the
outside for hours was through the
Southern Pacific of Mexico wires
at NogalcS, Sonora.
Tourists fled from the Nogalcs
auto camp, where the flood waters
carried tents away and immersed
machines in thrc" feet of water.
Police aud city officials were un-
able to get into tbs city hall of this
city. Those insid" attempted to get
into communication with surrounding
towns, hut were unsuccessful.
Police and volunteer deputy shcr
ifs were Keeping residents from
the streets through which the raging
torrents were racing. The force of
the water was strong enough to
throw men off their feet as they
attempted TO wade across to THEN
stores.
There was no Indication as to thu
end of the storm. Rain fell con
ftautlv this morning. The sewer
system was flooded, and the neigh
boring creeks were over their banks