Hundreds of people have been rescued by helicopter in southeast Australia after the region was hit by flooding following extreme rainfall.
Entire towns were cut off as rivers rose rapidly on Monday, submerging houses, roads, bridges and farms.
Emergency crews deployed more than a dozen helicopters to rescue people trapped on rooftops in the worst-hit towns in New South Wales (NSW), in what officials described as the biggest flood rescue operation in the state’s history.
More than 200 flood rescue operations were conducted in NSW in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning, after heavy rain smashed parts of southwest NSW and northeast Victoria over the weekend.
NSW's Central West is experiencing "life-threatening flash flooding" due to severe thunderstorms.
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) November 14, 2022
17 emergency warnings are in place, with residents in Cowra Caravan Park, Canowindra, Derriwong and Eugowra urged to evacuate immediately. #9News
MORE: https://t.co/iORgQsrHam pic.twitter.com/ERcsAn8ZaT
NSW Rural Fire Service said its helicopters saved 67 people on Monday, with some found clinging to trees and on rooftops.
Although rains had eased and blue skies returned to many flooded areas by Tuesday morning (UK time), emergency crews warned the danger had not yet passed.
Twenty-four emergency warnings remained in place, while flooded roads near several inland towns were hampering rescue operations.
“Although it is sunny out there at the moment, the waters are still flowing into catchment areas and creating severe risk to communities,” NSW emergency services commissioner Carlene York said during a media briefing.
Shocking footage showed torrents of water gushing over the Wyangala dam on the Lachlan River, as it overflowed on Monday.
Cowra, which lies about 185 miles west of Sydney, received just under five inches of water in 24 hours up to Monday morning - its highest daily rainfall in 118 years.
East Australia is in the grip of its fourth major flood crisis this year - the latest one into its third month - because of a rare multi-year La Nina weather phenomenon, which brings increased rain.
Yesterday was one of the busiest days ever for aviation rescue services, approx 90 people rescued in the Eugowra area with 67 of those saved by #NSWRFS helicopter crews. Paul Bryant was on 1 of 6 RFS helicopters working the area and although exhausting, was proud to play his part pic.twitter.com/UvfktC9lXX
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) November 15, 2022
In some areas such as Forbes - a rural wheatbelt town with a population 8,000 - residents had just been recovering from severe flooding last week, when this week’s crisis hit.
“They can’t believe this could happen twice in such a short period of time,” Mayor Phyllis Miller told ABC television. “I’m an optimist in my life but this is really heartbreaking.”
About 600 properties in Forbes were thought likely to be flooded, with the Lachlan River - the fourth-longest river in Australia - set to match levels hit during major floods in 1952, officials said.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the federal government will deploy an additional 100 defence personnel to help with relief efforts. Volunteers from New Zealand have arrived, while the state has also sought help from the United States and Singapore, he said.
