SYDNEY (AP) – Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, has issued more evacuation orders on Sunday after the worst flooding in decades.
Emergency services in the state of New South Wales responded to 640 calls for help on Saturday evening, including 66 for flood rescues.
New South Wales Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian said hundreds of people have been rescued from the waters.
Evacuation orders have been issued in multiple locations on the Mid North Coast in the northeast of the state, which Berejiklian said was experiencing a one-in-a-100-year event, and Mid North Coast conditions are sure to continue, so the rainfall will continue on the parts that have already been affected. ”
Berejiklian also said parts of Western Sydney are being hit by a one-in-50-year weather event, with more than 300 millimeters of rain recorded in some locations since Friday morning, breaking records.
The Warragamba Dam, west of Sydney, began to flood on Sunday, and 13 evacuation centers have been opened in the state so far. More evacuations are expected as bad weather is expected to last mid-week.
Local authorities urge people not to drive through flooded areas as they can be easily carried away by the strong current.