Severe flooding hits New South Wales: Rescues underway, power outages widespread; check your travel plans
New South Wales (NSW) is grappling with a significant flood emergency as relentless rainfall inundates the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions, leading to widespread evacuations, rescues, and infrastructure disruptions.
In the past 24 hours, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has received as many as 2,000 calls for assistance, and 24 flood rescues have been conducted, the majority of which involved individuals trapped in automobiles attempting to flee flooding. As rivers like the Manning and Williams surpass moderate to major flood levels, numerous towns, including Taree, Wingham, Dungog, Bulahdelah, and Gloucester, have been ordered to evacuate.
Taree has recorded the heaviest rainfall, with 267mm falling between Monday morning and Tuesday. A coastal trough is responsible for the ongoing rain, which has saturated the ground and raised the possibility of landslides and more flooding.
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Infrastructure related to power and transit has been severely disrupted by the extreme weather. Flooding and landslides have forced the closure of major highways, notably The Bucketts Way, and the suspension of Hunter line rail operations. There have also been power disruptions in more than 2,200 residences and businesses.
The SES has set up emergency evacuation centres in the impacted districts and sent 1,600 workers in response to the disaster. Authorities are stressing the potentially fatal dangers of driving through floodwaters and are advising locals to follow evacuation orders, refrain from needless travel, and never try to do so.
The bad weather is predicted to last until the middle of the week, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, with further rain and the possibility of more flash flooding because of already saturated soils.
Read more: 6 hidden villages in Sikkim where you can go off the grid
This incident serves as a reminder as to how extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense in the area, highlighting the need of readiness and adaptable infrastructure in lessening the effects of such natural catastrophes.
In the past 24 hours, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has received as many as 2,000 calls for assistance, and 24 flood rescues have been conducted, the majority of which involved individuals trapped in automobiles attempting to flee flooding. As rivers like the Manning and Williams surpass moderate to major flood levels, numerous towns, including Taree, Wingham, Dungog, Bulahdelah, and Gloucester, have been ordered to evacuate.
Taree has recorded the heaviest rainfall, with 267mm falling between Monday morning and Tuesday. A coastal trough is responsible for the ongoing rain, which has saturated the ground and raised the possibility of landslides and more flooding.
Read more: US B1/B2 Visa wait times for Indians cross one year; Chennai has the longest wait time
Infrastructure related to power and transit has been severely disrupted by the extreme weather. Flooding and landslides have forced the closure of major highways, notably The Bucketts Way, and the suspension of Hunter line rail operations. There have also been power disruptions in more than 2,200 residences and businesses.
The SES has set up emergency evacuation centres in the impacted districts and sent 1,600 workers in response to the disaster. Authorities are stressing the potentially fatal dangers of driving through floodwaters and are advising locals to follow evacuation orders, refrain from needless travel, and never try to do so.
The bad weather is predicted to last until the middle of the week, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, with further rain and the possibility of more flash flooding because of already saturated soils.
Read more: 6 hidden villages in Sikkim where you can go off the grid
This incident serves as a reminder as to how extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense in the area, highlighting the need of readiness and adaptable infrastructure in lessening the effects of such natural catastrophes.
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