Related News
Big rains hammer Australia's east coast
Source: Agencies |
December 11, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUSTRALIA'S attorney general declared 45 communities along the country's east coast disaster areas yesterday, following weeks of drenching rains that have submerged homes, destroyed crops and killed four people.
Despite years of drought, December's heavy rains have brought misery to the region. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, and officials have been scrambling to pluck stranded motorists from cars and surround vulnerable homes and businesses with sandbags.
"This was one of the most significant weather events in this state for a lot of years," said South Australian State Emergency Services Assistant Chief Officer Matthew Maywald.
The relentless weather claimed its fourth victim on Thursday. A man in his 50s was found in a car that had been swept into a creek in central Queensland state, police said. He was the third motorist in Queensland to die in the recent flooding after rushing water swept their cars away.
The body of a woman in New South Wales was found in water about 500 meters from her abandoned car on Tuesday. Police said she tried to walk away when the vehicle stalled on a flooded road.
Attorney General Robert McClelland declared 45 communities in Queensland and New South Wales natural disaster zones, allowing them access to federal disaster funds.
Ten centimeters of rain fell on the southern New South Wales city of Queanbeyan in one night, causing the community's swollen river to overflow and flood the downtown area.
Meteorologists were predicting continued heavy rain for some areas that could lead to more flash flooding.
Despite years of drought, December's heavy rains have brought misery to the region. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, and officials have been scrambling to pluck stranded motorists from cars and surround vulnerable homes and businesses with sandbags.
"This was one of the most significant weather events in this state for a lot of years," said South Australian State Emergency Services Assistant Chief Officer Matthew Maywald.
The relentless weather claimed its fourth victim on Thursday. A man in his 50s was found in a car that had been swept into a creek in central Queensland state, police said. He was the third motorist in Queensland to die in the recent flooding after rushing water swept their cars away.
The body of a woman in New South Wales was found in water about 500 meters from her abandoned car on Tuesday. Police said she tried to walk away when the vehicle stalled on a flooded road.
Attorney General Robert McClelland declared 45 communities in Queensland and New South Wales natural disaster zones, allowing them access to federal disaster funds.
Ten centimeters of rain fell on the southern New South Wales city of Queanbeyan in one night, causing the community's swollen river to overflow and flood the downtown area.
Meteorologists were predicting continued heavy rain for some areas that could lead to more flash flooding.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
