Australia: Severe flooding in New South Wales

In Australia’s state of New South Wales, flooding has wreaked havoc in many communities since the weekend. Australia is getting international help in its fight against water peoples.

The east coast of Australia has been flooded due to heavy rains for several months. New South Wales in particular is now preparing for the “biggest flood event in the state’s history,” according to Australian television station ABC.

The floods have already caused widespread destruction in many communities: in the west of metropolitan Sydney, more than 200 people have been rescued so far. Many saved themselves from the water on their roofs. The ABC reported that about 900 emergency calls were received in the last 24 hours alone.

According to media reports, more than 1,000 residents in the state have already been evacuated due to the rapidly rising water masses. In the community of Forbes on the Lachlan River, residents were called to evacuate their apartments and homes immediately. This is the second time in two weeks that the community has been affected by catastrophic floods.

Search for two missing persons

Two people are currently missing in connection with the floods: according to media reports, they are an 85-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman from Ugovra. They are currently looking for them.

The city was particularly hit by floods on Sunday and Monday, and the first residents are now returning to their homes, some of which were badly damaged.

Even the Wayangala Dam above the Lachlan River cannot hold much water. The dam is 320 kilometers from Sydney. On Monday alone, 230,000 megaliters spilled from the dam into the river, ABC television reported.

International support in the fight against floods

In the fight against the floods, Australia is receiving support from responders and volunteers from many countries, including New Zealand, Singapore and the United States. The Premier of New South Wales, Dominic Perrott, thanked the supporters for their attendance: