Sydney, November 5 (BUS) : Emergency crews in the most populous state of New South Wales evacuated people, livestock and sandbag cities on Saturday ahead of an expected peak in floodwaters, with one river expected to reach the 70-year mark. .
Eastern Australia is in the grip of its fourth major flood crisis this year due to the multi-year La Nina weather phenomenon, which is usually associated with increased rainfall. The floods left thousands homeless and damaged agricultural industries.
Authorities have announced at least A$2 billion ($1.3 billion) in disaster relief to help thousands of residents repair homes and in some cases relocate from flood-prone areas, Reuters reported.
Across the state of New South Wales (NSW), there were 103 flood warnings on Saturday.
In Forbes, a rural town in the state’s wheat belt about a five-hour drive from Sydney, some businesses have already flooded the Lachlan River surge, which is expected to reach a 70-year high of 10.8 meters (32 feet) on Saturday. .
Rescuers used high-clearance vehicles on Friday to reach a pregnant woman whose water had broken and who needed urgent medical attention, the New South Wales Emergency Service said in a statement.
“We’ve been running two flood rescues at the moment, I’m at the East Forbes property to help move some horses,” said Ryan Jones of Forbes SES. “We’ve been carrying sandbags, resupplying essential supplies, evacuations and flood rescues.”
“It’s been non-stop all day.”
Along the Murumbidji River near the town of Wagga Wagga, flooding peaked on Friday at its highest level since 2010.
NSW Flood Recovery Minister Steve Cook has warned that while the wet weather has abated, towns downstream from swollen rivers are now at risk of flooding.
“While we are experiencing a respite in the weather, the risk has not abated in terms of the amount of water in our river systems, which runs through our communities and impacts the daily lives of communities across NSW,” he said. Cook at a press conference.
Southern Victoria was also preparing for flood waters in the Murray River as far as Swan Hill in the northwest of the state in the next few days.
All four eastern Australian states, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, have been hit by floods this year.
EAE