Sydney [Australia], May 23: At least three people have died in devastating floods on Australia's East Coast, authorities in the state of New South Wales reported on Thursday.
One victim, a 63-year-old man, was found dead in his flooded home in the community of Moto, about 250 kilometres north of Sydney. The bodies of a man in his 30s and a 60-year-old woman, who were caught in their cars by the floodwaters, have also been discovered, according to police. One man remains missing.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told residents to get ready for more bad weather.
"I must also say that we're bracing for more bad news in the next 24 hours," he said, according to broadcaster 9News. Residents described the situation as catastrophic.
Around 50,000 people are expected to prepare for evacuation from their homes, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported. The worst-affected areas include small towns in the mid-North Coast region, such as Taree in the Hunter Valley wine region, as well as Port Macquarie and Wingham. Thousands were without power, and numerous schools remained closed.
In Taree, as reported by broadcaster ABC, as much rain fell in two days as would typically be recorded in four months. The Manning River, which flows through the region, rose to a record level of over 6 metres on Wednesday, surpassing the previous high from 1929 Around 2,500 emergency workers were deployed, using boats, trucks and helicopters. More than 500 people have already been rescued. Many had to be saved from the roofs of their homes, where they had waited for hours until rescuers arrived.
A local fire service spokeswoman told ABC that the people waiting were cold and wet and just grateful to be saved.
Calls from residents trapped in their homes continued to pour in.
Many pets were also rescued, though for larger animals, help often came too late. Witnesses reported seeing dead cows washed up on various beaches.
A well-known wildlife sanctuary in the Barrington Tops region is also completely underwater. The organization Aussie Ark, which runs breeding programmes to save endangered species such as the famous Tasmanian devils, said the floods had destroyed the sanctuary's infrastructure.
Source: Qatar Tribune
