Australia: Natural disaster declared for NSW south coast after heavy rain, floods and thunderstorms
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Mar 22, 2011, 2:56:25 AM3/22/11
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Australia: Natural disaster declared for NSW south coast after heavy rain, floods and thunderstorms
* From: AAP
* March 22, 2011 5:47PM
NATURAL disaster declarations have been made for parts of the Illawarra and south coast of New South Wales deluged by heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Shellharbour, Kiama, Bega and Bombala have been declared natural disaster areas and NSW Premier Kristina Keneally says more towns could be included in coming days.
"We don't have a clear sense of the total level of damage yet, but in those four areas they clearly met the threshold level for financial disaster," Ms Keneally said on her way to the Illawarra, after re-routing her election campaign bus away from the Hunter region.
She intends to inspect flood damage on the state's south coast.
A man died in stormwater and at least 40 people needed rescuing as homes, roads and rail lines were submerged when heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed the Illawarra and south coast.
"What we expect today is as people return to their homes they will find damage," Ms Keneally said.
The State Emergency Service (SES) received 749 requests for help by this morning while 43 water rescues were carried out in the Illawarra and Bega areas.
"We had a motorist trapped up a tree (near Bega) due to floodwater rising around him," said SES spokeswoman Chris Heard.
About 280mm of rain fell across the Illawarra region yesterday, and 380mm was dumped in parts of the Bega Valley overnight.
Mount Darragh, southwest of Bega, copped the worst of it, with 398mm falling over the town during the 24 hours to 9am (AEDT).
The SES evacuated residents from Windang and Bombala caravan parks, as well as nine properties near Jerrara Dam and two Bega properties.
There was major flooding along the Bega River, which suffered a double peak, and although not much rain had fallen since 10am (AEDT) on Tuesday the SES was "still monitoring it very closely".
A flood evacuation warning was also in place for the small town of Ungarie, southwest of Parkes, which has experienced rainfalls not seen since 1994.
Ms Keneally said there was "no assessment yet of the cost" of damage to property and local infrastructure.
"We are continuing to see disruptions to the road and the rail network as a result of the flooding," she said.
"We're still very much in the emergency response mode of these floods, responding to requests for assistance, ensuring that people are safe and the work of assessing damage is now beginning."
Train services in the Kiama area have been cancelled with disruptions expected to continue until Wednesday.
A 61-year-old man's body was discovered yesterday after he was swept into a stormwater drain as flash flooding hit the town of Warilla, in the Illawarra.
Thirty people were evacuated from the Windang caravan park, south of Port Kembla, while at Jamberoo, 16 children and their carers were saved from a flooded preschool.
Possible showers were forecast for Tuesday afternoon and evening in the Illawarra with partly sunny conditions for Wednesday.
"The radar is showing it's all quite clear, and it's all moving off the coast now," Ms Heard said.
"The main thing we want to get out there is, don't drive, ride or walk through floodwaters. You can get in a lot of trouble once you get in there and realise you can't get out."
Australia: Natural disaster declared for NSW south coast after heavy rain, floods and thunderstorms
* From: AAP
* March 22, 2011 5:47PM
NATURAL disaster declarations have been made for parts of the Illawarra and south coast of New South Wales deluged by heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Shellharbour, Kiama, Bega and Bombala have been declared natural disaster areas and NSW Premier Kristina Keneally says more towns could be included in coming days.
"We don't have a clear sense of the total level of damage yet, but in those four areas they clearly met the threshold level for financial disaster," Ms Keneally said on her way to the Illawarra, after re-routing her election campaign bus away from the Hunter region.
She intends to inspect flood damage on the state's south coast.
A man died in stormwater and at least 40 people needed rescuing as homes, roads and rail lines were submerged when heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed the Illawarra and south coast.
"What we expect today is as people return to their homes they will find damage," Ms Keneally said.
The State Emergency Service (SES) received 749 requests for help by this morning while 43 water rescues were carried out in the Illawarra and Bega areas.
"We had a motorist trapped up a tree (near Bega) due to floodwater rising around him," said SES spokeswoman Chris Heard.
About 280mm of rain fell across the Illawarra region yesterday, and 380mm was dumped in parts of the Bega Valley overnight.
Mount Darragh, southwest of Bega, copped the worst of it, with 398mm falling over the town during the 24 hours to 9am (AEDT).
The SES evacuated residents from Windang and Bombala caravan parks, as well as nine properties near Jerrara Dam and two Bega properties.
There was major flooding along the Bega River, which suffered a double peak, and although not much rain had fallen since 10am (AEDT) on Tuesday the SES was "still monitoring it very closely".
A flood evacuation warning was also in place for the small town of Ungarie, southwest of Parkes, which has experienced rainfalls not seen since 1994.
Ms Keneally said there was "no assessment yet of the cost" of damage to property and local infrastructure.
"We are continuing to see disruptions to the road and the rail network as a result of the flooding," she said.
"We're still very much in the emergency response mode of these floods, responding to requests for assistance, ensuring that people are safe and the work of assessing damage is now beginning."
Train services in the Kiama area have been cancelled with disruptions expected to continue until Wednesday.
A 61-year-old man's body was discovered yesterday after he was swept into a stormwater drain as flash flooding hit the town of Warilla, in the Illawarra.
Thirty people were evacuated from the Windang caravan park, south of Port Kembla, while at Jamberoo, 16 children and their carers were saved from a flooded preschool.
Possible showers were forecast for Tuesday afternoon and evening in the Illawarra with partly sunny conditions for Wednesday.
"The radar is showing it's all quite clear, and it's all moving off the coast now," Ms Heard said.
"The main thing we want to get out there is, don't drive, ride or walk through floodwaters. You can get in a lot of trouble once you get in there and realise you can't get out."
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