Thousands isolated as flooding crisis in Australia worsens
Published on May 21, 2025
By IANS
- SYDNEY — Thousands of people have been isolated amid record-breaking
flooding on the east coast Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).
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- Heavy rainfall on Wednesday continued for a fourth
consecutive day in regions over 100 km north of Sydney, exacerbating widespread
flash flooding.
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- The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said that it
responded to 887 calls for assistance, including 118 flood rescues, in the 24
hours to Wednesday morning.
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- Around 16,000 people or 7,400 dwellings in the
worst-affected areas could expect to be isolated for at least a day, Australian
Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) quoted SES spokesperson Andrew Edmunds as saying
on Wednesday morning.
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- SES was aware of 52 people trapped on tables, verandahs
and their roofs, he added.
-
- Local power provider Essential Energy has reported about
3,700 homes and businesses, mostly in Taree, Wingham, Tinonee, Burrell Creek,
Hillville and surrounds are without power. "Crews will be out again today,
assessing damage and completing repairs where it is safe to do so", it
said in a statement on Wednesday.
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- Almost 100 schools in the affected areas were closed on
Wednesday.
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- NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib told Radio
National Breakfast this morning that he has asked for federal support and said
the Australian Defence Force is due to arrive soon to assist with rescues.
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- SES Assistant Commissioner Colin Malone said in a
statement that authorities were deploying "every available asset" to
assist with rescues, Xinhua news agency reported.
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- "We've also had a large number of calls for help
that we are still assessing how best to access those locations," he said.
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- "We've advised those people needing assistance to
move to higher ground, as we're unable to currently access by boat, road or air
due to the current weather conditions."
-
- A severe weather alert from the Bureau of Meteorology
(BoM) said that some parts of the Hunter, Mid North Coast, Northern Tablelands
and Northern Rivers regions recorded 20-hour rainfall totals exceeding 200 mm.
-
- It said that heavy rainfall is expected to continue
through Wednesday and into Thursday for large parts of the state and could lead
to "life-threatening" flooding.
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- Senior BOM forecaster Dean Narramore told ABC television
that some areas received up to 500 mm of rain in 48 hours.
-
- The water level in the Manning River at the Mid North
Coast town of Taree, 250 km northeast of Sydney, on Wednesday morning surpassed
the record-high set in 1929.
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- Evacuation orders have been issued for residents in eight
towns, and residents of three more towns, including Taree, have been told that
it is too late to leave.
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- Malone said that most of the rescues for people in
trapped homes were being conducted in areas that were advised to evacuate on
Tuesday.
