SYDNEY (AP) – Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, issued new evacuation orders on Sunday after the worst flooding in decades.
New South Wales Emergency Services responded to 640 calls for help Saturday night, including 66 for flood rescues.
Hundreds of people were rescued from the waters, said the state’s prime minister, Gladys Berejiklian.
The authorities ordered the evacuation of several coastal areas in the northeast of the state, which according to Berejiklian suffered the worst flooding in a century and “although we do not believe that things will get worse, the conditions will definitely continue, so that the rain will continue in areas that have already been affected”.
The prime minister noted that parts of western Sydney were experiencing the worst storm in 50 years. At some points, more than 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) of rain has been recorded since Friday morning, a record.
The Warragamba Dam in western Sydney began to overflow on Sunday and by now 13 evacuation centers have been opened across the state. More evacuations were expected, with bad weather forecast to continue until the middle of next week.
Local authorities urged people not to drive through flooded areas, as vehicles could easily be swept away by strong currents.