Video: Two thousand people stranded by Australia floods
November 27 (Telegraph) – More than 900 people have called for emergency help and 29 people were rescued from the floodwaters, which on Saturday claimed the life of a three-year-old boy who was swept into a surging storm-water drain. Officials said the northern New South Wales town of Wee Waa would be cut off for up to one week by the flooding which has reached a deph of seven metres in some parts, after several rivers in the state burst their banks during heavy rains. The township of 1,800 will only be accessible by boat and helicopter and state emergency authorities said they were working to replenish food supplies. Evacuations were also underway at nearby Moree, where 60 homes were expected to be cut off as floodwaters reached their peak, while some 150 rural properties in the region were already isolated. The village of Garah, on the outskirts of Moree, was completely surrounded by water after a levy broke. The country’s weather bureau has forecast heavy rains in coming months due to a La Niña pattern in the Pacific Ocean, which is usually associated with extreme rainfall in Australia and Asia.
Two thousand people stranded by Australian floods 
By Melissa Davey
28 November 2011 HELICOPTERS and a plane have dropped food and medical supplies to northern NSW properties as floodwaters have isolated more than 2000 residents. The State Emergency Service said the 1800 residents of the town of Wee Waa, and about 200 rural properties in the Moree area, had been isolated by yesterday afternoon. “Wee Waa is expected to be isolated until about Thursday or Friday,” an SES spokeswoman said yesterday. “We drop off food, water, any medicine, and I know of one area where they flew in a doctor just to make sure everyone was OK.” Heavy rainfall across the state has claimed the life of a three-year-old boy, who drowned on Saturday when he was swept into a stormwater drain at Bingara. The mayor of Narrabri Shire, Robyn Faber, said the Newell Highway, which links Victoria to Queensland and runs through Narrabri, had been brought to a standstill. “It’s the busiest highway in Australia, usually one truck passes through Narrabri every 60 seconds,” she said. “Now, it’s empty. It has been very bad for freight transporters.” She said she was concerned about further forecast rainfall. “There is nothing to absorb any more rain,” she said. Police last night advised residents in parts of Moree, 100km north of Narrabri, to evacuate as flood levels rose. Since Tuesday there have been 887 calls for help to the SES, the majority for tree and roof damage in Sydney. Yesterday there were 70 calls for help, including 14 for flood rescues. Moderate flooding is expected at Tamworth on the Peel River, and flood warnings are in place for the Macintyre, Macleay and Bellinger rivers. The weather bureau predicted that Gwydir River tributaries, at Mehi River and Yarraman Bridge, would peak last night at 10 metres, the highest level since January 2001.
