Large parts of Australia’s east coast state of New South Wales are flooded again after repeated heavy rainfall. Emergency services are facing “the largest flooding operation in the state’s history,” Australian broadcaster ABC reported on Tuesday. More and more aid workers and volunteers from all over the world would join the rescue teams, especially from New Zealand, Singapore and the US.
“We’ve had volunteers from all over the world when it comes to fighting wildfires, but as far as I know this is the first time they’ve come for flooding. And I want to thank them,” said the region’s premier, Dominic Perrottet.
West of metropolitan Sydney, more than 200 people have been rescued from the floods since Monday. Many had fled to the roofs of their houses. Helicopter rescue teams were also deployed.
Village has experienced two major floods within two weeks
Evacuation orders were issued in the community of Forbes on the Lachlan River on Tuesday, directing residents to evacuate their homes immediately after floodwaters rose rapidly. It is the second devastating flood in two weeks. “People are shocked,” said Mayor Phyllis Miller. “You can’t believe this could happen twice in such a short time.”
Huge volumes of water were drained from the Wyangala Dam above the Lachlan River – about 200 miles from Sydney. On Monday alone, 230,000 megaliters per day fell from the dam into the river, it said. Video footage shows how trees and plants are dragged along by the water. A spokeswoman for 9News said the scenes resembled a massive tsunami.
Australia is suffering the effects of climate change
On the east coast of Australia, new rainfall and flooding have been causing desperation for months. Many people have lost everything. Many animals are said to have died in the floods. In addition to New South Wales, the states of Queensland, Victoria and South Australia were also recently affected. The country is particularly affected by the effects of climate change. A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from February 2022 assumes that Australia will be even more affected by devastating natural phenomena in the future.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
