Australia Floods Cause 18,000 To Evacuate From Homes In New South Wales

Australia Floods Cause 18,000 To Evacuate From Homes In New South Wales In A  ‘One In 50-Year Event’.

More than 18,000 Australians have now been evacuated from the flooding across New South Wales (NSW) as heavy rain continues to batter the east coast. Days of torrential downpours have caused rivers and dams to overflow around Sydney – the state capital – and in south-east Queensland.

Officials say the “one-in-a-50-year event” may continue all week and have urged the public to exercise caution. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has offered funds for those forced to flee. Millions of litres of rain fell in just a few hours yesterday causing more damage in NSW. image: Instagram

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said no deaths had been reported by late Monday – describing it as “a miracle given what we have been through”. But there has been widespread damage in the affected areas, which are home to about a third of Australia’s 25 million people.

Roads and bridges have been cut off by swollen rivers and livestock have been seen floating through flooded areas. Authorities also said that the Warragamba Dam, Sydney’s main water source, has been discharging up to 500 gigalitres of water a day – that is equivalent to the volume of Sydney Harbour.

On Monday, March 22, officials said they were very concerned about residents living in the low-lying areas north and west of Sydney, the NSW Central Coast and the Hawkesbury Valley. New South Wales was severely affected by last year’s ferocious bush fires, which affected many of the communities currently struggling with the floods.

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