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Torrential rains, dam overflows and flooding hit south-eastern Australia. In Sydney, the country’s largest city, authorities have ordered the evacuation of thousands of people. Experts warn of landslides and expect the floods to be greater than those that hit the region last year.
Southeastern Australia is under weather warnings. Heavy rains and the overflow of dams and rivers threaten landslides along the east coast, from Newcastle to Batemans Bay in the state of New South Wales, weather authorities warn.
Experts predict that the climatic phenomenon will intensify in the coming hours, for which thousands of Sydney residents have been ordered to leave their homes. The municipalities have opened different shelters.
“This is an emergency situation that threatens life (…) If you were safe in 2021, do not assume that you will be safe tonight. This is a rapidly evolving situation and we could very well see areas affected that have never been before. experienced flooding,” NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said of the previous year’s flooding.
More than 200 millimeters of rain has fallen on many areas and some have been affected by up to 350 millimeters, the Bureau of Meteorology said, warning of flooding risks along the Nepean River.
Some suburbs have already reported flooding of 1.5 meters and the rains are expected to increase in the next two days.
Sydney’s main dam overflows
The incessant rainfall caused Sydney’s main dam to overflow during the early hours of this Sunday, July 3.
The authorities pointed out that the models showed that the spill would be comparable to another significant one that occurred in the Warragamba dam, in March 2021.
“Now we are facing dangers on multiple fronts: flash floods, river flooding and coastal erosion,” Cooke said at a televised news conference.
For her part, the commissioner of the State Emergency Service, Carlene York, explained that there is no room for the water to remain in the dams. “The rivers flow very fast and are very dangerous. And then we have the risk of flash flooding, depending on where it rains,” she said.
Amidst this panorama, around 2,000 calls for help were made in the last 24 hours, during which time 29 people were rescued from the floods, including a woman who was hanging from a power pole for an hour while workers struggled. to reach her. The emergency services also rescued several animals.
The Australian government has deployed 100 soldiers and two helicopters to the state to help with rescue efforts, Defense Minister Richard Marles told Sky News.
According to authorities, Sydney may face even worse flooding than the previous year, which claimed the lives of 20 people.
With Reuters and local media
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