Australia floods: Evacuated Sydney residents advised to follow precautions amid cleanup

Evacuation is underway in seven north-west Sydney towns that have been affected by floods. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in the Hawkesbury Napean Valley, the Mid North Coast and parts of Moree. As the water level in the river is expected to fall in a few days, the evacuation order is expected to be lifted. In the western part, major flooding is expected along the Barwon river over the next few weeks. 

Eastern New South Wales is presently in recovery mode as nearly 80,000 people have returned to their flood-affected home, the New South Wales(NSW) State Emergency Service said in a statement on March 27. If the people have floodwater on their hands, they have been advised to wash with soap and water, and sanitise as soon as you can. New South Wales State Emergency service has urged the people to take care of their health including their mental health. People who have returned home after floods feel traumatised to see their home. The authorities are assessing the damages and thousands of residential and commercial buildings have already been deemed as damaged. 

NSW State Emergency Service has received over 23,000 calls from the public and volunteers have been called for more than 13,000 jobs since the floods began. Rain has eased over the past few days and the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast showers to be mostly light in the East and North-East parts of the state in the coming few days. They have said that these conditions will not have an effect on river levels but it would affect clean-up activities in the region. 

The Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny Morrison on March 27 visited the some of the residents in  flood affected areas of Western Sydney. He has said that helping flood-affected people will make their recovery easier. The Prime Minister has also announced financial help to the people affected by floods. The Prime Minister announced an extension of a $5 million loans scheme for flood-affected businesses up to $250 million in turnover, with no payments required for two years for the 10-year loan.

(Image Credits: The Associated Press)