Australian PM Anthony Albanese tours flood-affected regions

Sydney, May 23 (IANS) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns on Friday toured the regions north of Sydney that have been inundated by widespread flooding following five consecutive days of torrential rainfall.

Four bodies have been retrieved from floodwaters while a fifth person has been missing since Wednesday. As of Friday afternoon, more than 50,000 people remained cut off by flooding, and emergency services were continuing to conduct rescue operations by boat and helicopter.

As of Friday afternoon, emergency services had conducted 736 flood rescue operations in total, Xinhua news agency reported.

The severe weather system that brought the torrential rainfall moved south on Friday and, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), could move out of NSW by midnight.

Despite the easing conditions, authorities have warned that river levels could continue to rise.

As around 50,000 residents across the NSW Mid North Coast and Hunter regions are urged to prepare to evacuate, experts are warning that entering floodwaters poses one of the most significant threats to life.

"Four-wheel drives may provide a false sense of security when attempting to cross floodwater, but research shows that 75 per cent of all floodwater-related fatalities in the past 15 years are associated with these vehicles," Natural Hazards Research Australia CEO Andrew Gissing said in a statement.

He cited research showing that 84 per cent of motorists ignore road closure signs, and that young people, particularly men under the age of 29, make up the majority of flood-related deaths.

Research conducted after the devastating 2022 floods in northern NSW and southern Queensland revealed that nearly two-thirds of floodwater fatalities occur within 20 km of people's homes, underscoring the dangers residents face in familiar surroundings.

Friday marked the sixth consecutive day of heavy rainfall in the Mid North Coast region, driving record-breaking flooding and having caused two deaths.

Gissing noted that the Manning River at Taree in the Mid North Coast region has exceeded its historic 1929 flood peak of 6 metres, reaching levels not seen in centuries. He urged residents to avoid floodwaters, warning that road surfaces can be swiftly washed away, creating life-threatening hazards.

"You never know what is under the surface. Floodwater can easily wash away the surface of the road, and in seconds, your life is in danger as you're off the road, into the current and your vehicle is sinking," he said.

While the impact of climate change on this specific event is still being assessed, Gissing pointed out that warmer temperatures increase the atmosphere's capacity to hold moisture, making intense rainfall events more likely.

He stressed the need for greater investment in flood mitigation and risk-based urban planning to reduce exposure to future disasters.

--IANS

int/jk/vd