Heavy rain lashes Aussie east coast, sparks flash floods and evacuations

SYDNEY • Australia's east coast was smashed by heavy rain, sparking dangerous flash flooding that forced the evacuation of multiple regions as the fast-moving waters unmoored houses, engulfed roads, stranded towns and cut power lines.

In Sydney yesterday, the authorities pleaded for people to stay at home as a major dam overflowed and a mini-tornado tore through a western suburb.

Most of the coast of New South Wales (NSW) state, which is home to about a third of Australia's 25 million people, has already seen March rainfall records broken, and the authorities warned that the downpour was likely to continue for several days.

"I hate to say this again to all our citizens of the state, but it's not going to be an easy week for us," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a televised briefing.

"The rain may not stop till Thursday or Friday."

Officials had issued nine evacuation orders for about 15 areas by yesterday afternoon.

Warragamba Dam, a major water supply for Sydney, began overflowing yesterday afternoon. Officials warned that the overflow would quickly add to swollen rivers, leading to flash flooding.

A mini-tornado ripped through a suburb in the west of the city, causing damage to over 30 homes, knocking down trees and cutting power, emergency services said.

Emergency crews responded to about 4,000 calls for help over the past two days and carried out 500 direct flood rescues, a level NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said was "just completely unacceptable".

"The message is clear: Do not walk through or drive through floodwaters, do not drive over water that is covering a road," he said.

Social and sporting events were called off across the state, including football games and one of Australian turf's marquee horse races, the A$3.5 million (S$3.6 million) Golden Slipper.

Almost 30 children in the rural town of Kendall spent Friday night in their primary school library with more than a dozen staff after flooding trapped them inside and prevented parents from collecting them.

"Lots of hungry little bellies this morning as everyone woke up after a settled quiet night," a note on the school's Facebook page said. "All safe and sound here at school."

The federal government said the extreme weather was affecting its Covid-19 vaccine delivery in Sydney and throughout NSW, but that delays should last only a few days.

Australia plans to deliver the first vaccine doses to almost six million people over the next few weeks.

REUTERS