Rain eases in Sydney but flood threats continue as river levels rise, funding announced for affected communities
The rain may have eased by Sydneysiders have been told to stay on high alert as the threat of flooding remains.
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Sydneysiders are being warned there is still “danger” in floodwaters despite the city facing blue skies and warm weather, while a joint federal-state disaster recovery package is set to help residents in affected areas.
Communities in Sydney’s north and west remain isolated after the “dangerous and life-threatening” weather event dropped more than 250mm of rain in just one night.
Despite the rain easing and major flooding risks dropping along the Hawkesbury River, multiple evacuation notices remain in place.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said while it is blue skies, it “doesn’t mean the water danger is over”.
“It doesn’t mean the threat of flood is over,” he told media on Sunday afternoon.
The NSW government on Sunday announced the recovery package on Sunday morning, which includes funding for local councils to assist with cleanup costs, emergency accommodation and payments for essential items for affected residents, and jointly funded by the Commonwealth.
Residents will have access to grants to help restore essential household items and to undergo repairs to damaged homes.
The funding is available for residents in the local government areas of the Blue Mountains, Camden, Hawkesbury, Kiama, Liverpool, Penrith, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, Upper Lachlan, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong.
Mr Dib said the impact of the storms and flooding can now be addressed as a “natural disaster”.
“We can’t control the weather and we can’t control the impact of the weather,” he said.
“We’ve got much better in the way that we’ve learnt from past disasters to making sure that we are better at addressing the ways that we deal with natural disasters.”
Acting federal Emergency Management Minister Catherine King urged residents in these areas to act quickly and begin recovery efforts.
“I want to thank those who have worked hard to start the clean-up efforts so quickly and I want to assure those whose lives have been disrupted that we will support them through their recovery,” she said in a statement.
“The NSW Government is continuing to assess the damage and fully understand the impact of this disaster, and the Australian Government stands ready to respond to any requests for assistance.”
NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib thanked emergency services workers for their tireless work during the wild weather event.
He thanks the SES for working through the night to help communities.
“Work to assess the impact of flooding across the state is being conducted as quickly as possible, with disaster declarations like these a crucial first step in unlocking assistance,” Mr Dib said.
NSW Premier Chris Minns on Sunday said he believes the weather event will soon be declared as a disaster.
“We expect a natural disaster declaration will be declared later this morning,” he told media on Sunday.
“This means federal and state funds will flow to local councils as well as communities that have been knocked over.”
Parts of the state were hit with up to 180mm of rain in just one night, with fears the Warragamba Dam is still set to overflow for more than a week.
Floodwaters continue to rage in North Richmond, with the Bells Line of Road underwater and Richmond Bridge closed.
The Hawkesbury River reached a peak of 10.52 metres overnight but is currently sitting at about 9.35 metres a Windsor.
A number of emergency warnings remain in place, with 32 alerts still active affecting up to 4000 residents in low lying parts of Freemans Reach, Cattai, Pitt Town, Ebenezer and Pitt Town Bottoms.
Senior meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology Sarah Scully told the Today Show an “enormous” amount of water is continuing to make its way downstream.
“We are expecting there to be peaks in the lower catchments throughout this morning,” she said on Sunday.
Evacuation centres remain open in Penrith and Richmond.
The SAS issued warnings to Sackville residents about 10.30pm Saturday, while parts of Richmond Lowlands were ordered to leave by midnight.
Residents in Freemans Reach were issued the warning at 1am, while Agnes Banks, Bligh Park and Angus were all told to leave by 2am.
The SAS responded to 146 rescues overnight, with motorists continuing to attempt to drive through floodwaters.
NSW Police on Saturday confirmed a body had been found in Western Sydney floodwaters.
Emergency services rushed to King St at Penrith about 7.45am Saturday after a member of the public reported a man’s body in water near a reserve.
A statement from NSW Police said officers from Nepean Police Area Command established a crime scene.
“An investigation into the man’s death is underway and a report will be prepared for the Coroner,” the statement said.
Residents in Wollongong’s surrounding suburbs were hit with their worst flooding since 1998, with the region hit with 150mm of rain in just six hours.
One couple in an Airbnb in Figtree are lucky to be alive after the accommodation they were in was picked up by floodwaters and moved to a stormwater drain.
Meanwhile, the deadly deluge is continuing to hit northern NSW and parts of Queensland, wreaking havoc on schools, roads and flights.
Constant rain is set to hit Brisbane, the Gold Coast and northern parts of NSW on Sunday.
Brisbane is facing a grey day as a low lying cloud and constant rain hit the city.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned heavy rain of up to 60mm in isolated areas could prompt flash flooding.
Authorities are warning motorists to re-evaluate travel plans as more storms could lead to dangerous conditions on the roads.
A storm system is predicting isolated downpours of up to 100mm in Logan, the Scenic Rim and the Gold Coast on Sunday.
Originally published as Rain eases in Sydney but flood threats continue as river levels rise, funding announced for affected communities
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