People in NSW’s west were not dreaming of a wet Christmas, but unfortunately that’s what they got, with a couple of hundred people still isolated from recent flooding.
Hay in NSW’s west is the latest town to be hit with an evacuation warning as of 3pm (AEDT) on Friday, and seven more natural disaster areas were also declared in NSW on Christmas Eve.
Flooding is expected to peak on December 27 for areas in Hay around the Murrumbidgee River. The evacuation warning affects 12 properties in low-lying areas.
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“A couple of hundred properties around the state remain isolated and we will be doing resupplying if required,” said SES spokesman David Webber.
Heavy rain which caused the flooding has cleared from most parts of the state, but the lower reaches of many inland rivers continue to bulge, swamping roads and isolating communities.
The seven areas declared disaster areas on Friday were Wentworth, Wakool, Snowy River, Tumbarumba, Balranald and Narrandera shire council regions in the state’s southwest and Blayney, in the central west.
It means there are now 49 natural disaster areas, each qualifying for commonwealth and state cash.
The State Emergency Service (SES), which has carried out 150 rescues since the flooding began in late November, said it is well placed to continue helping communities over Christmas.
Source: www.smh.com.au
