A record level of flooding has occurred on the east coast of Australia. This is being described as unprecedented in nearly a century. Communities in the state of New South Wales have been declared disaster areas.
More than 5,500 households have lost electricity supply due to the storm. Currently, there are over 140 communities situated in the flood zone. Residents have been forced to leave their homes.
"This is a terrible disaster for the residents of this state. There are already tens of thousands of homes in the flood zone and we are preparing for more bad news within the next 24 hours," said state Premier Chris Minns.
Over 2,000 emergency service workers have been deployed to assist the affected, with military personnel also mobilized.
More than 50,000 residents on the east coast of Australia have received evacuation instructions. Evacuation notifications have been issued for communities along a 500-kilometer stretch of the eastern coast from the city of Grafton to Newcastle.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, heavy rain is expected to continue in the central areas of the eastern coast on Thursday, with daily rainfall totals of at least 300 mm. The rains will then move south, reaching Sydney and its surrounding cities by Friday.
