Thousands of Sydneysiders in previously unaffected areas have been warned to evacuate due to rising flood waters overnight, as heavy rains continue to fall across Greater Sydney. Areas of Sydney's west that managed to dodge the worst of the March-April floods, including parts of Emu Plains and Emu Heights, have been issued urgent evacuation orders. The Warragamba Dam is spilling at a rate that exceeds that of the floods earlier this year, leaving the North Richmond area in Sydney’s northwest particularly under threat.
The heavy rains are impacting more than 500 kilometres of New South Wales coastline, from Newcastle to Batemans Bay, prompting Stephanie Cooke, emergency services minister for the state of New South Wales, to urge NSW residents to avoid non-essential travel and to work from home where possible. "This is a life-threatening emergency situation," said Cooke during a media conference on Sunday afternoon.
Experts are citing climate change and the ongoing La Niña weather phenomenon for the more than 350 millimetres of rain that has fallen around the Nepean area, while coastal erosion and saturated grounds contribute to the worsening problem.
One unnamed man has died due to the flooding, and more than 80 people have been rescued by SES volunteers in the last 24 hours.
Keep up to date with SES evacuation orders here.