Southeast Australia braces for more rain

Sydney, The Gulf Observer: Australian authorities warned on Tuesday that flood-affected areas in the country’s southeast were set for more rain, as emergency services issued a fresh batch of evacuation orders.

Authorities overnight told hundreds of residents to evacuate from the New South Wales (NSW) town of Narrabri, home to 12,000 and about 550km northwest of Sydney, as water released from a full dam nearby worsened flooding, Reuters reported. In nearby Gunnedah, residents endured the fifth flood in 12 months, with television footage showing people evacuating homes through waist-deep flood waters carrying pets and personal belongings.

A video online showed one resident paddling a kayak through inundated streets and straight into a flooded garage. “Clearly the flood risk and the threat remains across NSW today and will do so for some days to come. The rivers are very, very full and of course our dams are mostly at full capacity at present,” Steph Cooke, NSW emergency services minister, said on Tuesday. “Even the smallest amount of rain falling can cause an elevated risk of flash flooding and riverine flooding.”