Flooding as a result of heavy rains in eastern Australia this Sunday (03/21/2021) hit some western parts of Sydney, where officials were asked to be ready for evacuation.

The governor of Sydney’s capital, New South Wales, Gladys Perziglian, told reporters that the floodwaters had receded for more than half a century.

Due to heavy rains in recent days, the Warragamba Dam overflows, which supplies water to Sydney and is located a few kilometers from the city, is a major hub for emergency services.

“To avoid flooding and to give the amount of rainfall we experience, it would be simply not possible to reduce the capacity of the dam by 20-25 per cent. This puts the amount of rainfall we expect in the coming days in the environment,” the governor said today.

School closures and temporary telephone

The floods also affected dozens of coastal communities in New South Wales, such as Pulahdela, Tari or Port Macquarie in southeastern Australia, and authorities set up 13 centers to provide shelter for thousands of displaced people.

The flow of rivers overflows in many areas, flooding roads and surrounding hundreds of buildings.

Dozens of people had to be rescued by emergency services, who warned that “sudden waterways could cause deaths.”

The Meteorological Agency forecasts regional officials to work from home next week in anticipation of heavy rains.

Authorities have ordered the closure of dozens of schools.

The storm forced the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to be delayed in many parts of the region.

mg (efe, Reuters)