Horrific Winds and Raging Rains lash Australia again*

June 16, 2007 10:58am
Article from: Agence France-Presse

AUSTRALIA - Extremely HEAVY rain and high winds have again hit parts of
NSW bringing down trees, causing flash floods and damaging houses,
putting extra pressure on SES crews already stretched after last week's
violent storms.

The Bureau of Meteorology released a severe weather warning last night
and it stayed in place today.

The State Emergency Service (SES) responded to 350 calls for assistance
overnight putting extra demand on crews still working on jobs logged
after last week's violent storms in which nine people died.

"It's nowhere near as severe (as last week) ... but there is a severe
weather warning from the Bureau of Meteorology,'' SES spokesperson David
Webber said today.

"Last week our calls for assistance were around 15,500 - we had 350
overnight.''

Mr Webber said most of the current calls for assistance related to
fallen tree branches or downed trees in the Illawarra, Sydney
metropolitan and South Hunter areas Central Coast areas of NSW.

"It's mainly fallen trees and branches ... and we have had reports of
flash flooding in some areas due to the heavy rain, and water getting
into property.''

Mr Webber said the SES had about 80 emergency crews working across the
state, and some were still working on jobs logged during last week's
violent storms.

"There is quite a few teams on the ground for that ... we've completed
95 per cent of those tasks from last week and we expect to have them
completed this weekend, though the weather may impede that a little bit.''

Mr Webber urged people in storm-hit areas to keep clear of creeks,
drains and causeways, to never drive or ride through flood waters and to
keep away from fallen trees and power lines.