[ad_1]
Dozens of rivers along the coast of New South Wales have overflowed, prompting evacuations as an “unprecedented” amount of rain fell in the past two days.
Sydney only expects up to 150 millimeters of rain.
Luke Jones / Sydney Morning Herald
Looking towards West Kempsey at 9am on Saturday morning.
In a media update Saturday, Justin Robinson, the national flood services manager for the Bureau of Metrology, said the state was facing “a very dynamic and evolving flood situation.”
More than 30 houses were damaged in Chester Hill, in western Sydney, as the city suffered heavy rains.
READ MORE:
* Heavy rains hit Australia’s east coast, flash floods force road closures
* Sydney storms claim beaches as another ‘heavy weather’ event looms
* Wildfires in Australia: Three hells threaten to form a mega fire on the border of New South Wales
* Australia bushfires: ‘catastrophic’ warning for Sydney as temperatures rise
Energy and traffic around the area are affected. There are also minor floods on Sydney roads as the rain continues to fall.
A severe weather advisory was issued on Saturday, covering an area from the north coast to the south coast of New South Wales, as well as Canberra.
Agata Imielska from the Bureau of Meteorology said people need to be aware of “dangerous conditions” that can change quite quickly.
“It is a very significant record event with the rain that we have seen,” Ms Imielska said.
DYLAN COKER
Wet weather is expected to affect the state through the end of next week.
The impact of the floods in New South Wales is being felt everywhere.
The Parramatta River has swallowed up a bike path, while the Macleay River near Kempsey and the Hastings River at Port Macquarie are more like lakes.
Photographer Matt Gilligan, who is on the ground in Port Macquarie, has been documenting the flood.
Trees fell onto power lines, sandbags were placed outside cafes and shops, and floodwater dispersed around parking lots, city centers and front gardens.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Councilor Geoff Hawkins described the disaster as unprecedented and “the worst flooding I can remember.”
“It has affected more people and more seriously,” he said. It is also affecting the CBD areas, that is unusual. “
COUNCIL OF PORT STEPHENS
Flooding damages the road on Foreshore Drive in Port Stephens.
Floods also flooded the town of Kendall, 30 minutes south of Port Macquarie, with reports that part of a building that housed Miss Nellie’s cafe was “floating.”
Yesterday afternoon, shortly after 2.30, the restaurant posted on its Facebook: “Despite best efforts, the water now enters the cafe … thinking of my poor neighbors and their houses on River Street.”
Just under three hours later, the cafe was underwater.
10,000 PORT MACQUARIE FACEBOOK GROUP FANS
Miss Nellie’s Cafe in Kendall was underwater overnight.
The cafe’s owner, Janelle Nosworthy, said the damage was “even worse than we could have imagined, without words.”
“We are safe at home, but please think of my poor neighbors,” he said. “Their homes and families are suffering.”
Major flooding is possible on the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo rivers northwest of Sydney on Saturday, with moderate flooding in other areas nearby.
In an alert Saturday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology said major flooding is possible beginning Saturday night, which “may be similar to the February 2020 event.”
The State Emergency Service has responded to more than 4,000 calls for assistance, of which 500 have been direct flood rescues since the “significant weather event” began on Thursday.
Residents of some low-lying areas have been ordered to leave because the areas could flood with water.
“Once flood water begins to flood the area, access to roads, water, sewers, electricity, telephones and the Internet may be lost. If he remains in the area, he will be trapped and it may be too dangerous for SES to rescue him, ”the agency said in an evacuation order.
The Bureau of Meteorology said “major flood peaks” have been observed, with further increases possible as more rain is forecast this weekend.
NINE
Floods at Telegraph Point near Port Macquarie
Residents are urged to stay home as the humid weather is expected to continue into next week.
“The last time we had major floods in NSW, the weather event passed in two or three days, unfortunately it will be an extreme and deeply rooted weather event,” said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
The rain is expected to continue through Thursday or Friday of next week.
“We hope those predictions are wrong,” Berejiklian said. “The best predictions we have for others will be a prolonged weather event.”
Matt Gilligan / Sydney Morning Herald
Businesses large and small have been affected by the record rains.
New South Wales State Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York has urged residents across the state to prepare for potential evacuations, particularly those in the north and north central coast.
“I’d rather have people plan and feel like it was a wasted effort and find that their home and property are destroyed or destroyed because they didn’t think the drilling event would affect them,” he said. “This is a slow moving event, that’s why it’s such a risk, often rain events, they pass in small peaks and start to recede.
“Those are not the circumstances for this event, the rain continues for a period of time towards the end of the week.”
