Basic HTML Version
June-July, 1970
LEFT: Seenes of the destruction
wrought by a ki ller tornado that
struck Lubbock, Texas on May
11.
RIGHT: Res idents of Galati,
Romania, were among
270,000
Eastern Europeans left homeless
by the worst floods in European
history.
Left:
Ambossodor Col/ege Photos
Ríght: W ído World Photos
tornado swept ioto Lubbock, Texas. A
PLAJN TRUTH news team was on the
scene shortly after disaster struck. Here
is its report:
"What was uncommon about the
'twister' that touched clown about 9:30
p.m. May 11, was first of al! its size.
Called the 'Great Tornado,' it cut a
swath of destruction one mile wide and
eight miles long. Further, it did not
touch clown in a rural arca where there
were few people and buildings. Rather
its black arm reached clown right in the
very heart of the city of Lubbock. When
it lifted, more than 20 of Lubbock's
161,000 residents were dead and more
than 1,000 were injured - hundreds
seriously enough to require hospitaliza–
tion.
"When PLAJN TRUTH reportees and
photographers arrived on the scene the
next day, they discovered that facilities
on one side of the airport had been dev–
astated. More than 100 Jight aircraft
had been twisted, bent and broken. One
entire row of hangars had been toen
from the ground and lay in a crumpled
heap.
"The roads into the city were littered
with debris and frequent detours were
necessary. Police and National Guards–
men were patrolling the arca and keep·
ing an eye out for looters - sorne of
whom had begun their dirty work even
before the wind had fully subsided.
"The 'Great Tomado' had snapped
power and communication poles like
matchsticks, made ilying razor blades
out of corrugated roofing, pulled steel
"l" beams from their anchoes, flipped
huge tractor·trailer rigs with mockery
and made a shambles of man's 'orderly'
system of water, power and commu–
nications. Tall buildings in the city ceo–
ter - including a 20-story skyscraper
- were left windowless, pocked and
scarred by the debris-laden wind and
lemon-sized hail. 2, 500 square blocks
o
o
FLOODS...
had been damaged and estimates of the
destruction indicated at least a $100
million loss. Sorne officials felt that
$200 million was a closer estímate.
"The city was declared a disaster area
and immediately government at all
levels, as well as prívate organizations
and individuals, pitched in most com–
mendably to offer aid. As the long,
painful task of recovery began, we
could not help but wonder how many
were stopping to ask themselves
u·hy
such disasters occur - and what it all
means."
Rampaging Floods
In Eastern Europe the story has been
one of
floods
-
the worst in European
history.
In Romanía the Danube River, swol–
Ien with rainwaters from its engorged
tributaries has been responsible for the
loss of 200 lives. More than 270,000
have been evacuated from their homes.
Over 39,000 houses have been dam–
aged or destroyed, 1,200 villages flooded,
over a million acres inundatcd -
more than the arca of Jamaica - and
nearly 600 bridges swept away. The
Danubian floods so far have robbed
Romanía of
ll%
of its grain and vcgc–
table crop this year. Many thousands of
farm animals have been drowncd.
Disastrous Drought
io South Africa
In stark contrast, the Republic of
South Africa is undergoing an unprc-ce–
dented drought. Reports a ncwspaper
f
rom
Port Elizabeth:
"Countless cliches
f
rom 'dehydration'
to 'devastation' are associated with
South Africa's drought years, but the
climatic scourge of today in the once fer–
tile Iand south of the Limpopo [Rivcr]
is no figure of speech.
lt is n stnrk,
tm·i!Jinx realit; witholf/ etputl in
hiSiory.
"It
is difficult to compare the great
drought of 1933 with today's positíon.
Conditions, other than climatic, wcre so
(Contintted on page 46)