HEAVY RAINS WORSEN AUSTRALIA FLOODS
18,000 forced to evacuate homes, schools shut
TORRENTIAL rain lashed Australia’s southeast again yesterday, worsening once-in-a-century flooding that has forced 18,000 people to evacuate their homes and shuttered hundreds of schools.
The days-long deluge has inundated coastal areas of New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, including parts of Sydney. Yesterday, eight million residents were told to avoid unnecessary travel and to work from home if possible, as some hardhit areas received 25cm of rain in 24 hours.
Just over a year ago, the region was parched: suffering prolonged drought, water restrictions and unprecedented bushfires.
“I don’t know any time in a state history where we have had these extreme weather conditions in such quick succession in the middle of a pandemic,” said
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Scientists had warned Australia could expect more frequent and more extreme weather events as a result of climate change. About 18,000 people had been ordered to evacuate and 38 regions had been declared disaster zones, Berejiklian added.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose conservative government has been accused of dragging its feet on climate action, said Australia was “being tested once again” by a “terrible event”.
He told Parliament that Australia’s defence force was expected to be called in to assist with the clean-up and recovery.
Emergency services have received at least 8,800 calls for help and rescued hundreds of people from floodwaters since the crisis began. Insurers had received more than 5,000 claims in the past few days, he added.
Residents of official disaster zones are eligible for emergency government support payments of A$1,000 per adult and A$400 per child.