Key points
- Flooding hit several rural towns in Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales
- Officials warn more downpours are expected over the next 24 hours
- Over 100 schools were closed on Thursday
- Thousands of properties remained without electricity
SYDNEY: Flash flooding on Australia’s southeast coast has killed two people and cut off towns, isolating tens of thousands of residents, as officials on Thursday warned more downpours were expected over the next 24 hours.
Reuters reported that major flooding hit several rural towns in the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, with most of the Mid North Coast region facing further heavy rainfall through Thursday.
Local Police said the body of a 63-year-old man was found in a flooded home near Taree, more than 300 km north of Sydney, while another body believed to be that of a missing man aged in his 30s had been discovered in flood waters on the Mid North Coast.
“We’re bracing for more bad news in the next 24 hours. This natural disaster has been terrible for this community,” Reuters cited New South Wales Premier Chris Minns as saying.
“Flood warnings”
“There’s 140 flood warnings, 50,000 people are in the range where they have been asked to prepare to evacuate and could be isolated, and there’s been 9,500 properties in the direct vicinity. So, we’re far from out of the woods here.”
Two men and one woman have been reported missing in separate incidents, Reuters reported. Over 100 schools were closed on Thursday, while thousands of properties remained without power.
Cundletown in the Mid North Coast has been entirely cut off by floods, said Nicole Sammut, a nurse caring for 67 elderly residents at an aged care home, which is also being used as a shelter by emergency teams.
More Heavy Rain
Twenty-two people had been rescued by helicopter, including 18 winched from flooded homes and roads, and four rescued from a bridge, NSW Police said. The helicopters have been directing more boat rescues.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said it has responded to more than 300 flood rescues in the 24 hours to 05:00 local time (20:00 BST) – and more than 500 rescues since the flooding began, BBC reported.
“We’ve seen continual rainfall and very fast flowing rivers, which when combined with flooded roads have made it very difficult to access some isolated people,” NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Colin Malone said.
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology forecast that some areas could receive up to 200 mm of rain through Friday, triggering life-threatening flash flooding, before the weather system is expected to weaken and track south towards Sydney.
