Tens of thousands of additional residents were called on Wednesday to evacuate the city of Sydney and the east coast of Australia in the face of flooding. The torrential rains are decreasing in intensity, but the authorities are asking for the greatest vigilance.
Thousands of people on Australia’s east coast were still fleeing their homes on Wednesday. The downpours that started nearly a week ago were heading north after inundating Sydney, whose roads and bridges are submerged in muddy waters.
“An event far from over”
Authorities in New South Wales have warned of further flooding north of Australia’s biggest city and warned that flooding rivers, swollen by rain, still pose a danger in parts of Sydney, despite a decrease in rainfall in the city.
Since Tuesday, 85,000 additional people have been ordered to leave their homes immediately or to prepare for an imminent departure so as not to be blocked by the rising waters.
State of natural disaster declared
Throughout Sydney’s western fringerivers burst their banks and large areas were turned into lakes, with muddy waters invading homes while cutting off roads and bridges.
The federal government has declared a state of natural disaster in 23 flooded areas of New South Wales, releasing aid for affected residents.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese traveled to the affected area on Wednesday, promising to seek “long-term solutions” after multiple catastrophic floods have hit Australia’s east coast over the past 18 months.
Climate change in question
While “Australia has always been prone to flooding and bushfires”, scientists warn that climate change will make these events more frequent and intense. “That’s what (is) happening,” he said.
Australia is particularly affected by climate change, regularly hit by droughts, devastating forest fires, not to mention repeated and increasingly severe floods.
According to the weather services, the rainy front is expected to move up along the coast later in the week.
Agencies/oang