Video: Two dead, thousands evacuate in Australia floods – Floodwaters reach 160-year high after record rainfall in three states
By Amelia Harris, Michelle Ainsworth, Aaron Langmaid, John Dagge, and AAP
5 March 2012 AS the nation’s flood crisis claims its second victim after record rainfall in three states, communities continue sandbagging as Numurkah’s hospital closes due to extensive damage. The second man died after his was car washed off a flooded road near Gympie, in southeast Queensland, about 7am. Authorities confirmed the man’s death but have not yet been able to reach his car, which is submerged in floodwaters. There had been unconfirmed reports of a second vehicle being washed off the same road. His death came the day after police recovered the body of the 43-year-old Victorian man who was dragged into swollen floodwaters at Batemans Bay in NSW. The man was one of three people who became trapped in a four-wheel-drive when trying to cross a creek on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Riverina town of Urana has come under evacuation order. (See separate report). Sandbagging efforts continue in Victoria’s northeast as floodwaters hold steady. Waters in the flood-ravaged town of Numurkah are expected to drop slowly after 30 homes and 10 businesses were inundated. […] An SES spokesman said flood waters in the Murray had hit 7.88m, similar to the October 2010 flood levels, and were still slowly rising. Across the border in nearby Jingellic, six kilometres north of Walwa, the Murray River is at a major flood level but residents have so far been able to stay in their homes with no evacuation orders released. About 250 kilometres east of Jingellic, Katamatite locals have begun to observe the damage to the tiny town of about 300 people, though they may remain isolated for several days as floodwaters slowly recede after peaking on Saturday Flood waters cut the Victorian community off over the weekend with about 12 properties and one business inundated along the creek, about 20 kilometres south of Cobram. Emergency crews were working to secure the levee at Nathalia, where floodwaters were expected to peak on Thursday at between 3.2m and 3.35m, which would be above the 1993 level. […] Christine Ford said she had started to survey the damage to her house, which is for sale, and ripped meters of carpet up this morning. “It was for sale. I don’t think we’ll sell it for a while now,” Mrs Ford said. “This is way bigger than than the ’74 floods. I have never seen anything like this before. “It really started dropping Saturday night. It was really sudden.” In NSW almost 5000 people have been forced to flee their homes while others have been placed on high alert as water levels continue to rise. […]
Two dead in flood crisis gripping parts of Victoria, NSW and Queensland 
6 March 2012 (Radio Australia) – An urgent evacuation order has been issued for Wagga Wagga in southern New South Wales, with residents being told to leave their homes by 6am AEDT on Tuesday. The State Emergency Service says if the Murrumbidgee River reaches an expected peak of 10.9 metres on Tuesday morning, the levee will be breached and the town’s centre flooded. Region Controller James McTavish says everyone in central Wagga Wagga must get out. “Do not delay your evacuation. Roads may be congested or closed and you could become trapped and need to be rescued. Remaining in flooded areas is extremely dangerous and may place your life at risk,” he said. The SES says there is a chance the river will not reach that predicted peak, but it wants locals to take the evacuation order seriously. Severe flooding across three Australian states has left at least two people dead and forced thousands to evacuate. The victims were both men swept away in their cars; one man died in southern New South Wales and the other in southeast Queensland. Around 70 per cent of New South Wales is flooded or facing the threat of floods after days of heavy rain, with around 4,500 people already moved from their homes. In Yanco, a breach has been created in a levee to protect 300 properties, while a creek which burst its banks last night in Barellan is still on the rise and residents say it is like an inland sea. The towns of Leeton, Narrandera and Griffith remain isolated after the unprecedented rain. Also in the central west, parts of Cowra, Ungarie and Yoogali have been evacuated. There are currently flood warnings for 15 river valleys across New South Wales. Residents of flood-affected towns in Victoria’s north are being warned to expect at least several more days of inundation. A number of communities including Numurkah and Wunghnu remain flooded and the Army is assisting emergency services to keep homes above water. There is still a major flood warning for the Murray River upstream of Lake Hume. SES spokesman Darren Skelton says the focus is now turning to Nathalia, where flooding is expected to peak later this week. “At this point in time we expect that peak to be higher than the 1990 flood level,” he said. […]
Two dead, thousands evacuate in Australian floods 
By Stephen Johnson, AAP
5 March 2012 An urgent evacuation order has been issued for central Wagga Wagga in southern NSW as floodwaters threaten to reach a 160-year high. The State Emergency Service (SES) and the police issued the order shortly after 10pm (AEDT) on Monday. It affects 8000 people, ABC Television reports, which makes it the biggest emergency since during the week-long flood crisis. SES Murrumbidgee region controller James McTavish said people needed to leave by dawn on Tuesday as the Murrumbidgee River threatened to breach the city’s levee barriers. “We’re encouraging people to move now,” he told reporters. “Don’t delay. This is a very serious issue and if you live in any of the areas that are subject to an evacuation you must be clear of this area by 6am.” The order comes as the Murrumbidgee River threatens to reach some of the highest levels since flood records began. The Bureau of Meteorology expects the river to reach 10.8 metres by 7am on Tuesday. This would surpass the 10.74-metre level reached in August 1974 and rival the 10.9-metre peak reached in 1853, according to Wagga Wagga City Council records. […] The latest downpour started about a week ago with the SES performing 105 flood rescues and receiving 3000 calls for assistance. Heavy rain that had hammered the region eased on Monday with the weather bureau forecasting mostly sunny conditions for Tuesday and Wednesday, and isolated showers for the afternoon and evening on Thursday. […]
In these images nature looking very beautiful. This is the reality of nature.