Floods force east coast of Australia | World | D.W.

This Saturday (03/20/2021) people called for the evacuation of low-lying areas off the east coast of Australia. Due to the heavy rains, the lives of the people may be in danger.

Hundreds of people have fled to evacuation centers north of Sydney, and officials estimate many more will seek shelter as it rains south of the coast.

Extreme levels of flood danger were announced in Port Macquarie, 400 km north of Sydney, according to the Meteorological Agency.

In that area, authorities are advising residents not to go outside as there is a risk of flash flooding.

About 4,000 people have been evacuated by torrential rains in eastern Australia.

Carlin York, the emergency services commissioner for the state of New South Wales, told a news conference that officials expect the number of evacuees to increase in the coming days as more rain falls.

They run shelters

For this reason, seven points have been set up to provide shelter to those displaced by the storm. The overflowing of the Warrakamba Dam on the outskirts of Sydney is also a major concern of the danger, and for this reason the authorities have ordered the opening of some flood gates.

Regional Governor Gladys Perezglian told the media that the situation was critical for some areas and that the flooding would continue until Thursday or Friday next week.

“We want to avoid night-time evacuations, they are better off advancing in daylight, which is why I urge everyone to be vigilant and seek the advice of the authorities,” the policy said, to keep people at home.

Images of the local media are that rivers are overflowing and many houses in the countryside are submerged.

The meteorological department warned of strong winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour during the strong intensity of the rain, which led to a small hurricane that devastated some streets in a neighborhood in western Sydney.

mg (afp, efe, Reuters)