The federal government has stated that floods affecting NSW are a natural disaster, activating emergency funding support for those in need.
Key points:
- Dozens of evacuation orders are maintained
- The SES received more than 5,300 requests for assistance overnight
- The SES and BOM will provide an update with the latest information at 10 a.m.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said the payments were available to people in 23 areas of local government affected by the crisis.
“They’re unlimited payments, they’re demand-driven and will be available to anyone who meets the requirements,” Watt told ABC News Breakfast.
“We are working very cooperatively with the New South Wales government to make sure we get support from the people quickly.”
It comes as rain continues to fall in Sydney and NSW today, and authorities are urging residents to be on the lookout for sudden flooding as water levels rise in some areas.
The State Emergency Service said there were 5,300 requests for assistance overnight, with 252 of those flood rescues, mostly for residents trapped in cars and residents who had to be relocated.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a severe weather warning, with heavy rainfall of up to 65 millimeters and harmful winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour forecast.
Dozens of other evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect for residents in northwest and southwest Sydney.
Orders cover parts of Chipping Norton, Georges Hall, Warwick Farm, Moorebank, Lansvale, Woronora Pitt Town, McGraths Hill, Mulgrave, Vineyard and Lower Portland.
Emergency service officers rescued this kayak in Canley Heights. (ABC News)
SES Deputy Commissioner Sean Kearns said the Hawkesbury River continued to rise and there was a renewed risk of sudden flooding for the Central Coast and Hunter.
“With the rain going on now, we’re seeing it move across the north-west of Sydney and into the central and Hunter coast areas, so the biggest risk is sudden flooding,” Kearns said.
“This is, by its very nature, unpredictable, so we ask people to be aware of their surroundings and, if they can avoid unnecessary travel, not to travel and not to drive through any flood water.”
He said water levels were still rising in North Richmond, Windsor and Sackville, while levels were beginning to recede southwest of Camden.
A car full of water near Hume Highway in Lansvale this morning. (ABC News) A parked truck was surrounded by water in Lansvale overnight as water levels rose. (ABC News)
The Hawkesbury River continues to grow, with several evacuation orders in place.
It is the fourth flood in the area in the last 18 months.
Meanwhile, a 169-meter bulk carrier that was yesterday adrift in Royal National Park waters is now anchored off the coast of Cronulla, south of Sydney.
Crew members of a tugboat used in the rescue operation have been hailed as heroes for their role in the operation.
An attempt to rescue the ship’s crew by helicopter was aborted due to the wild conditions.
Yesterday, heavy rain fell over large tracts of Greater Sydney, Illawarra and Hunter despite a low weakness on the east coast.
Between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., more than 120 mm were recorded at Horsley Park, southwest of the city.
The BOM warned that several areas of NSW had seen three or four times the average July rainfall in just 24 hours.
Although rain is expected to decrease today, showers are forecast for the rest of the week.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) had responded to more than 4,200 calls for help and made more than 140 flood rescues in the period as of yesterday afternoon.
Many of the hardest-hit communities are in the south-western and north-western limits of Sydney, many of which were flooded in March and April this year before being flooded again over the weekend.
Several areas of the state’s north coast have also been flooded twice this year.
So far, there has been one confirmed death: a man who was kayaking on the Parramatta River on Sunday.
Posted 56 minutes ago, 56 minutes ago, Monday, July 4, 2022 at 9:05 PM, updated 19 minutes ago, 19 minutes ago, Monday, July 4, 2022 at 9:41 PM