TAREE: Flood victims confronted damage from a record deluge in eastern Australia on Friday, returning to find their homes caked in silt, cars half submerged and streets littered with debris. Four bodies have been pulled from floodwater in northern New South Wales, a fertile region of rivers and valleys about 400 kilometres from Sydney. The storms dumped more than six months' worth of rain over three days, according to the government weather bureau, smashing records in some areas. In Taree, one of the worst-hit towns, the swollen Manning River broke a 96-year record. People picked through piles of sodden trash dumped in the town centre, searching for anything salvageable.
Rescue worker Jason Harvey said the immediate flood emergency was over but the clean up had just begun. "Emotions were high as we were rescuing a lot of people who are distraught when we get to them," he said. "We are now at that clean up stage. I am glad it is over," he said. The rising tides cut off tens of thousands of people, forcing some to clamber atop cars, houses and highway bridges before helicopters winched them away. Rescue crews have plucked more than 600 people to safety since the waters started rising earlier this week.
State Emergency Service head Dallas Burnes warned that even as the floods recede, the stagnant, muddy lakes still poses a threat, including from snakes that may have slithered into homes. "Floodwaters have contaminants. There can be vermin, snakes. You need to assess those risks. "Electricity can also pose a danger as well." He said recovery efforts were focused on "resupplying the isolated communities".
As he travelled into the disaster zone on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the situation as "horrific". "The Australian Defence Force will be made available. There's going to be a big recovery effort required," he said. "There's been massive damage to infrastructure and we're going to have to all really pitch in." The government has declared the floods a natural disaster, unlocking greater resources for affected areas. About 50,000 people had been cut off from help at the height of the disaster, authorities said.
Flash floods also threatened a wildlife sanctuary breeding endangered Tasmanian Devils, a meat-eating native marsupial. "Our hardworking team has been out in tough conditions, moving animals to safety and getting food to where it's needed most," the Aussie Ark sanctuary said in a statement. On the coast, people spotted dead cows washing up after rivers swept them from their pastures. — AFP
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