Settlers forced to higher ground as floods sweep away possessions

By DOROTHY MARK

HUNDREDS of settlers in Madang have been badly affected by flooding which began on Monday afternoon.
People living near the Wagol River were the worst affected.
Madang disaster and emergency acting director Rudolf Mongallee said the office would assess the situation and see what needed to be done.
Wagol community leader Terry Aimai said everyone in the settlement had to move to higher ground. “The main Baidal road was covered with water,” Aimai said.
“The flood washed away cooking utensils, clothes and anything it could carry.”
Peter Mombi, from Kambaramba in Angoram, East Sepik, lost his lawnmowers. “This is the first big flood we have ever experienced,” Mombi said.
Other settlements and couple of town residents’ yards were also flooded.
Gama local level president Elijah Kas said hundreds of library books he received from Books For Kids PNG got wet in the flood when water reached the guesthouse where he had been stored them.
“I just received the books (on Monday) for students at Gama LLG and now they are all wet,” Kas said.