SYDNEY: Emergency services said they carried out 13 rescue operations and received 297 calls from residents in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, about flooding caused by heavy rain between midnight and 5am.
The New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) said in a statement early on Saturday that ten emergency evacuation orders had been issued for the suburbs in the northwest of the city.
The National Weather Service warned that flooding could occur in northwest Sydney, a city of about 5 million people
Sydney’s Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley is fed by five rivers and has points that restrict flow to the sea, thus storing water during heavy rains.
Acting SES chief Dallas Burns told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation there was “still a lot of water flowing” and urged affected residents to be prepared to evacuate their homes.
New South Wales Emergency Minister Jihad Deeb said the rain had hit the swollen area and it was “more effective”.
Flooding is the second leading cause of death in Australia after weather waves, accounting for around 20% of natural disaster deaths between 1900 and 2022.
Heavy rains in Australia’s east spark flash flooding, rescues
