A natural disaster has been declared in Australia following unprecedented rainfall and widespread flooding across New South Wales.
In just 48 hours, the region has received more than four months’ worth of rain, resulting in the death of at least one person. Authorities have expressed "grave fears" for three individuals still missing: a 60-year-old woman and two men, aged 25 and 49.
“We should be bracing for more tough news over the next 24 hours,” warned New South Wales Premier Chris Minns during an interview with ABC News.
The situation is expected to deteriorate further through Friday, with approximately 50,000 residents advised to prepare for isolation. Entire towns have been cut off, forcing the closure of over 100 schools and leaving around 5,300 homes and businesses without electricity.
Essential Energy, the company responsible for maintaining the state's power infrastructure, has reported extensive damage to power lines. Officials warn that outages may persist for several days.
Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by fast-moving floodwaters and dangerous conditions, making boat access unsafe and helicopter deployments challenging.
Andrew Edmunds of the State Emergency Service stated that there are between 100 and 150 outstanding emergency incidents that crews have yet to reach due to inaccessible terrain.
Among the dramatic rescues, two individuals in their 70s were winched to safety from the roof of their car after becoming trapped in floodwaters. They were later assessed by paramedics.
Authorities continue to monitor the crisis as emergency services work around the clock to reach affected communities.
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