Australia:Thousands of Australians were evacuated from their homes yesterday as floodwaters headed down the wine-rich Hunter Valley, leaving towns cut off and farms isolated like islands.
A storm battering Australia's east coast for the past three days has whipped up huge seas. Eight people have drowned in the floods, the worst in 30 years in the area, which have been declared a natural disaster by the New South Wales state government. Another person was killed when a tree fell on him, bringing the storm's death toll to nine.
"I speak for every Australian in saying . . . we are heartbroken by the loss of lives," said prime minister John Howard.
About 5,000 residents from the town of Maitland in the Hunter Valley were evacuated yesterday amid fears the swollen Hunter River would break levees overnight, emergency officials said.
"This afternoon, we got advised that the levee is likely to overtop," Philip Campbell, a spokesman for the state emergency service said. "It is the most significant flooding in the Hunter Valley since 1971. It is a very serious flood threat and we are taking the threat very seriously."
Soldiers were constructing sandbag levees to try and hold back the Hunter River.
"I just don't know what is going to happen now. It's a real battle," said dairy farmer John Cousins as he surveyed his flooded farm, which had been battling drought before the storm and floods hit.
Some farmers had to swim their horses and cattle to safety. One farmer, chest deep in water, held a chicken above his head as he waded towards higher ground.
New South Wales state premier Morris Iemma said the damage in Newcastle, one of Australia's major coal export ports, was worse than after a 1989 earthquake hit the city.
Up to 300mm of rain has fallen since Thursday on parts of the Hunter region, while parts of the Central Coast and Sydney received 200mm. But the rains have eluded much of the drought-stricken Sydney catchment area.
More than 105,000 homes remain without power in Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Hunter Valley.
Wild seas on Sunday continued to hinder the salvage of the bulk carrier Pasha Bulker, beached on Newcastle's Nobbys Beach on Friday. Authorities fear a marine disaster if the giant ship breaks up and spills its 700 tonnes of fuel and oil. About 50 ships are anchored offshore until the storm subsides.
- (Reuters)