Autumn is hitting Australia in historic floods, when the forecasting service warned yesterday that The water level in rivers in the northern state of New South Wales could reach a peak of 60 years. Tens of thousands of residents in the Sydney area were required to evacuate their homes.
Since the weekend, heavy rains have fallen in New South Wales, the largest amount ever recorded in March, and authorities have warned of severe flooding as rivers flowing towards Sydney overflow.
According to data measured last night, the Nafian River reached a height of 10.05 meters, more than the historical floods recorded in the Sydney area in November 1961, while the level of the Hawksbury River ranged from 11 to 14 meters. It is estimated that it will reach more than 15.50 meters and cause similar floods as it did 60 years ago.
Flooding in Australia (Photo: Reuters)Due to the floods, more than 17,000 residents living along the rivers in the northwestern suburbs of Sydney and in the low-lying areas along the coast were called to evacuate their homes, and thousands more were called to prepare for evacuation.
“The rain we will receive in the coming days is expected to exceed everyone’s expectations,” said New South Wales Prime Minister Gladys Bricklin. “Therefore, the first priority is for people to have an evacuation plan.”
Residents have admitted that although they are used to flooding, the current incident is unprecedented. “I saw all kinds of floods, but I never had to evacuate,” said Alan Rabin, who has lived in a village west of Sydney for more than 40 years, saying she moved into her sister’s house until the water receded.
The couple Joshua Edge and Sarah Suarez were due to get married on Saturday, however the festive day became heartbreaking as their home in Mondrock was swept away by the flood. Due to the closure of the roads, the couple are still separated from each other between two towns in the area.
“All I want is to kiss Sarah and give her a hug, but we’re still trapped,” Edge said. “Obviously we wanted to get married, but we can also in half a year, 12 months a year. That’s what it is.”