Frustration swelled among many flood-hit residents in Australia’s east over slow relief and recovery efforts, as Sydney braced for more heavy downpours in the next two days that could trigger flash flooding and hamper clean-up plans.
Thousands were forced to flee their homes after torrential rains since late last month brought widespread destruction in the states of Queensland and New South Wales (NSW), cutting off towns and sweeping away farms, livestock and roads.
The death toll from the deluge rose to 18 after a man was found dead in a car swept away in floods in Queensland on Sunday.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“These are terrible, terrible floods,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told radio station 2GB yesterday. “These are floods that we have not seen in living memory in anyone’s lifetime, and even before that, and so I can understand the great frustration [we are] seeing expressed.”
More defense force personnel are immediately being sent to flood-affected areas to lead the recovery, said Morrison, who is trailing in polls ahead of a federal election due by May.
Residents have been taking stock of the damage over the weekend, while struggling to clear debris and sludge after water levels receded in some places.
“We’ve had a week of no communications, no food, no fuel ... it has been quite unnerving and emotional,” a resident in the far northern NSW town of Murwillumbah, among the worst hit by record floods, told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Power and Internet were still down in several towns as emergency crews tried to clear roads to deliver essential supplies.
“This additional rainfall on already saturated soils, catchments and flooded rivers, creeks and streams is giving us an increasing amount of concern,” Australian Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Dean Narramore told a media briefing. “We are likely to see major flooding on numerous rivers.”
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