Following the worst floods in decades, New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, issued more evacuation orders on Sunday. On Saturday night, the New South Wales State Emergency Services responded to 640 calls for assistance, including 66 flood rescues.
Hundreds of people have been rescued from the waters, according to New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Multiple evacuation orders have been issued across the state’s Mid North Coast, which Berejiklian described as a once-in-a-100-year event. “While we don’t think things will get any worse on the Mid North Coast, definitely conditions will continue, so the rains will continue across the portions that have already been affected,” Berejiklian said.
Berejiklian also stated that parts of Western Sydney are experiencing a one-in-50-year weather event, with some areas receiving more than 300 milimeters (11.8 inches) of rain since Friday morning, setting new records.
The Warragamba dam, west of Sydney, began to overflow on Sunday, prompting the establishment of 13 evacuation centres across the state. As the bad weather is expected to last into the middle of the week, more evacuations are expected. People are being advised not to drive through flooded areas because they could be swept away by strong currents.
Hundreds of people have been saved, according to Gladys Berejiklian, the state premier. According to him, this is the first time in nearly a century that such a tragedy has struck, and orders have been issued to evacuate residents from many areas along the state’s Mid-North Coast.
People are being advised not to travel to flood-affected areas by local authorities.
