Australia: Severe flooding in New South Wales
After days of heavy rain, entire villages are cut off from the outside world and the authorities are reporting thousands of rescue missions and evacuations. The all-clear is not in sight.
Emergency operation in flood area
Prolonged rainfall has caused severe flooding in eastern Australia. Entire villages have been cut off from the outside world by the water, with tens of thousands of people seeking shelter from the floods. According to the authorities, at least two people have died and others are missing.
Flood of the century in New South Wales
Several communities in New South Wales have been severely affected by the flood disaster. They are located around 400 kilometers north-east of Sydney. According to the Australian Weather Service, in some areas it rained as much in three days as it normally does in six months. These are the worst floods in the region for over 100 years.
Evacuations by air
Rescue workers are using helicopters and boats to evacuate people from roofs or bridges in flooded areas. Jihad Dib, New South Wales Minister for Disaster Management, reported numerous such rescue operations in the last 24 hours. "We've seen more rain and more flooding in the mid-to-north coast area than we've ever seen before," said Dib.
Flood risk in road traffic
Around 2,500 rescue workers were deployed in the flooded areas with boats, helicopters and hundreds of search drones. Numerous dangerous emergencies arose on the roads. Drivers lost control of their vehicles while driving through flooded roads or tried to get to safety on the roof of their cars from suddenly rising water levels.
Further bad news expected
The authorities warned of further heavy rainfall. Christopher Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, urged more than 50,000 people to prepare for evacuations to avoid being trapped by floodwaters. "We are bracing for more bad news," Minns said.
Masses of water push from inland to the coast
Meteorologist Angus Hines reported on Australian television that an area of low pressure is stubbornly persisting over the affected region, causing heavy rainfall. Further dangerous flooding is expected when the masses of water from the rugged regions in the inland push through the rivers towards the coast.
Emergency in New South Wales
Rescue workers in Port Macquarie travel by motorboat through flooded streets. The government officially declared a state of disaster to release funds for protection and relief measures. Tens of thousands of people in the affected areas are completely cut off and many lack supplies of food or medicine.
"We aren't over the worst of it yet"
Water as far as the eye can see. The Australian Minister for Disaster Management, Kristy McBain, warned: "We aren't over the worst of it yet." Several rivers burst their banks in the rural Mid North Coast region, where entire areas will remain under water for some time to come.