Torrential rain lashed parts of the city continuously for 24 hours, prompting the evacuation of thousands from the outskirts. Furthermore, the downpour led to the early overflow of the city’s primary water source, the Warragamba Dam, by two days. Residents downstream of the dam have been cautioned about the likelihood of additional flooding.
The dam commenced overflowing on Saturday morning and has been releasing water downstream at a rate equivalent to 80,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools every hour, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Officials anticipated the dam’s water levels to peak by midnight local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday. However, some inhabitants have been advised of ongoing flood threats as the majority of the dam’s water is yet to traverse Sydney’s flood-prone regions.
“We have been out with the community, letting them know what is coming and ensuring they prepare,” New South Wales State Emergency Service commissioner Carlene York told reporters.
“We don’t think those waters are affecting a significant amount of people in those areas but certainly rural farmland, stock and families and businesses… need to be aware of the next couple of days as the water will continue to flow down at a high level in those river systems.”
Water levels in the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers are anticipated to increase in the upcoming days.
According to WaterNSW CEO Andrew George, spillage is also anticipated from other dams, including the Tallowa Dam on the Shoalhaven River and dams in the Blue Mountains. He was quoted by 9News.
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The storm resulted in a month’s worth of rain inundating Sydney on Friday, prompting authorities to issue emergency evacuation alerts for numerous low-lying areas of the city, including Richmond and Windsor.
“While it looks like blue skies across Sydney at the moment and the emergency rain situation seems to be easing… it is important to note that flood levels in some of the rivers, particularly in western Sydney, are continuing to rise and that presents a danger for some communities,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters on Saturday.
The New South Wales State Emergency Service reported rescuing over 150 individuals from floods on Saturday, with 72 of those rescues occurring in Sydney. Sadly, one man was discovered deceased in water near a reserve in Penrith, though it remains uncertain if his death is storm-related, according to New South Wales police.
Power outages have left thousands without electricity. Flooding has disrupted many train services and closed numerous roads across Sydney. Additionally, a major landslide from the wet weather has severed the only access road to Megalong Valley in the Blue Mountains, prompting concerns about isolated residents and potential food drops, as noted by local Mayor Mark Greenhill.
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