Fetryl Floods Kill 15, Leave 4,000 Homeless 04/07/3133
INN - Interstellar News Network
JOHNSTON FALLS--Flooding in the Sydney province on the Fetryl continent,
brought on by several days of torrential downpours and the failure of two major dams
in the region, has claimed the lives of at least 15 Johnston Falls residents and left more
than four thousand homeless at this hour. Emergency services from five nearby
towns have been called, along with the 32nd Towne Militia Engineering Division, in an
effort to contain the flooding and support humanitarian efforts in the small mining
town that at its peak boasted a population of just around 15,000.
The people of Johnston Falls, having been plagued by drought conditions since early
last year, were caught completely by surprise when tropical storm Ichi abruptly
swerved northward and slammed into the region. The storm, the largest to hit these
parts in over a century, dumped over 20 centimeters in as many hours, swelling both
the South Sydney and Johnston Valley reservoirs well beyond their intended limits.
Safety releases failed to keep up with the overflowing dams in both reservoirs,
resulting in a series of breaks that sent water raging throughout a valley region already
drowning in the heavy rains.
The neighboring towns of Barnaby and Luego Vista have also been hit by rising
floodwaters that have already forced the evacuation of over 30,000 residents to higher
ground. At the Lower Johnston Valley Mining Station, which employs over a
thousand area residents, the sudden flood has been devastating, but thankfully,
company executives say, casualties were minimal.
“We got news of the dam break about 30 minutes before the waters got here,” said
Priscilla Landers, spokesperson for Lower Johnston Valley. “At the time, only a
handful of workers were at the site--all aboveground, since the mining shift ended a
few hours before. We managed to evacuate before the flood hit, but weren’t able to
seal all the mine entrances first, which has cost LJV a lot of valuable equipment and
seriously upset our timetables.”
Bruce Hogan, governor of Sydney province, has requested and received assistance
from the planetary government, with Planetary Governor Renee Oscar already
declaring Johnston Falls a global disaster area and freeing up emergency funds and
additional rescue crews to respond to the crisis. The first of these crews is expected
to arrive as early as tomorrow morning, though many Johnston Falls residents are
already looking toward the long and difficult process of rebuilding. Meanwhile, local
utilities providers have acknowledged that over 95 percent of the tri-town area
remains without power or fresh water at this hour.
“My wife and I spent years of sweat and tears to finally find ourselves a place to call
our own,” said Mikael Anderson, a MiningMech driver who has lived in Johnston
Falls his entire life. “It’s hard to grasp the fact that, in just a few short hours, it can all
be just swept away on the currents, and we’re back to square one again.”
Governor Hogan, upon surveying the damage via VTOL, reported that he was
“appalled” to see the devastation in downtown Johnston Falls, where water levels
remain nearly two meters high at this hour.
“The sheer scope of the devastation in Johnston Falls is staggering,” Hogan told INN.
“What once was a thriving community, buzzing with activity, is now a ravaged
landscape of sunken buildings and broken lives. This disaster is a tragic loss to the
people of Sydney, and I vow on behalf of those affected by this tragedy to do
whatever it takes to restore what we have lost.”
INN - Interstellar News Network
JOHNSTON FALLS--Flooding in the Sydney province on the Fetryl continent,
brought on by several days of torrential downpours and the failure of two major dams
in the region, has claimed the lives of at least 15 Johnston Falls residents and left more
than four thousand homeless at this hour. Emergency services from five nearby
towns have been called, along with the 32nd Towne Militia Engineering Division, in an
effort to contain the flooding and support humanitarian efforts in the small mining
town that at its peak boasted a population of just around 15,000.
The people of Johnston Falls, having been plagued by drought conditions since early
last year, were caught completely by surprise when tropical storm Ichi abruptly
swerved northward and slammed into the region. The storm, the largest to hit these
parts in over a century, dumped over 20 centimeters in as many hours, swelling both
the South Sydney and Johnston Valley reservoirs well beyond their intended limits.
Safety releases failed to keep up with the overflowing dams in both reservoirs,
resulting in a series of breaks that sent water raging throughout a valley region already
drowning in the heavy rains.
The neighboring towns of Barnaby and Luego Vista have also been hit by rising
floodwaters that have already forced the evacuation of over 30,000 residents to higher
ground. At the Lower Johnston Valley Mining Station, which employs over a
thousand area residents, the sudden flood has been devastating, but thankfully,
company executives say, casualties were minimal.
“We got news of the dam break about 30 minutes before the waters got here,” said
Priscilla Landers, spokesperson for Lower Johnston Valley. “At the time, only a
handful of workers were at the site--all aboveground, since the mining shift ended a
few hours before. We managed to evacuate before the flood hit, but weren’t able to
seal all the mine entrances first, which has cost LJV a lot of valuable equipment and
seriously upset our timetables.”
Bruce Hogan, governor of Sydney province, has requested and received assistance
from the planetary government, with Planetary Governor Renee Oscar already
declaring Johnston Falls a global disaster area and freeing up emergency funds and
additional rescue crews to respond to the crisis. The first of these crews is expected
to arrive as early as tomorrow morning, though many Johnston Falls residents are
already looking toward the long and difficult process of rebuilding. Meanwhile, local
utilities providers have acknowledged that over 95 percent of the tri-town area
remains without power or fresh water at this hour.
“My wife and I spent years of sweat and tears to finally find ourselves a place to call
our own,” said Mikael Anderson, a MiningMech driver who has lived in Johnston
Falls his entire life. “It’s hard to grasp the fact that, in just a few short hours, it can all
be just swept away on the currents, and we’re back to square one again.”
Governor Hogan, upon surveying the damage via VTOL, reported that he was
“appalled” to see the devastation in downtown Johnston Falls, where water levels
remain nearly two meters high at this hour.
“The sheer scope of the devastation in Johnston Falls is staggering,” Hogan told INN.
“What once was a thriving community, buzzing with activity, is now a ravaged
landscape of sunken buildings and broken lives. This disaster is a tragic loss to the
people of Sydney, and I vow on behalf of those affected by this tragedy to do
whatever it takes to restore what we have lost.”
| April 7, 3133 |