Sydney battered by heavy rain, leading to flash floods and rescues, Australia

Torrential downpours caused flash floods in Australia’s largest city, Sydney, on June 7, 2024, leading to evacuations and rescues in low-lying areas.

NSW State Emergency Services (SES) reported 13 rescues and 297 calls for help from the residents in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales state, within 24 hours to 05:00 LT on June 8 (19:00 UTC on June 7) due to heavy rain that caused flooding.

As a result of severe flooding, mandatory evacuations were ordered for ten neighborhoods in Sydney’s northwest.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib explained that the recent rain hit already full water catchments, making the flooding much worse. 

“Our dams are full, our waterways are full, our grounds are saturated,” Dib said in a televised news conference in Sydney, adding that some roads and bridges had been affected.

The Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley near Sydney is a flood-prone zone. With five rivers draining into it and narrow passages restricting water flow to the sea, heavy rain triggers dangerous floods as the water gets trapped.

In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp., SES Acting Assitant Commissioner official Dallas Burnes stressed the need for residents in flooded areas to be prepared for potential evacuation due to continuing water flow.

In a public statement, the NSW SES informed on June 8, 2024, that widespread heavy rainfall has now eased across NSW, though scattered showers remain. However, multiple flood warnings are still in place around different locations in East Australia.

Floods pose a serious threat in Australia, ranking as the second most common cause of death from natural disasters, following heatwaves. The Australian Climate Service agency reports that roughly 20% of natural disaster fatalities between 1900 and 2022 were caused by floods.

References:

¹ Heavy rains in Australia’s east spark flash flooding, rescues – Reuters – June 8, 2024

² NSW SES Weather and Flood Update – NSW State Emergency Service – June 8, 2024

Featured image credit: Floods in NSW on June 7, 2024. Credit: NWS SES