After a weekend of devastating floods in New South Wales, residents are now returning to their homes, some of which were completely destroyed, while others had to be evacuated.
The NSW SES received a staggering 5,000 calls for assistance over the weekend, with 29 homes completely submerged. As of Monday morning, around 800 people in 300 homes were still under evacuation orders, a number expected to decrease throughout the day.
In Sydney, over 60 homes have been damaged by the floods, rendering 17 of them uninhabitable.
Carlene York, the commissioner of the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), emphasized the focus on the hardest-hit areas like the Illawarra, Nepean, and Hawkesbury regions, ensuring the safe return of residents to their homes.
Despite the rain stopping, road closures and hazards persist, urging the community to exercise caution while traveling.
The threat of significant flooding remains in parts of Sydney, with eight flood warnings still in effect in NSW, expected to be downgraded soon. Queensland is also facing major flooding in the south-west region.
Hawkesbury City Mayor Sarah McMahon expressed concerns over the financial toll of the cleanup and the anxiety among residents, especially after enduring seven floods in the past four years.
The NSW SES plans to assess damages and enhance flood response strategies in the coming days, offering relief to Hawkesbury residents by waiving landfill disposal fees for flood-related waste until June 30.
The Environment Protection Authority is considering extending this relief to other affected areas, following similar exemptions in Wollongong, Shoalhaven, Shellharbour, and Kiama.
Amidst the crisis, tensions rise as the NSW Labor government’s decision to abandon Warragamba Dam wall-raising plans is criticized for lack of flood mitigation efforts.
Hawkesbury Mayor McMahon urges for dialogue and investment in flood prevention measures, highlighting the need for collaboration with the government.
Andrew Edmund of NSW SES acknowledges the severity of the floods but notes that they could have been much worse, comparing them to previous disasters in Lismore and the Hawkesbury.
In Queensland, major flooding along the Warrego River adds to the ongoing crisis in the south-west region.
2024-04-08 00:22:05
Article from www.theguardian.com