Latest news with #KinneRing
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Kempsey Mayor urges Australians to visit flood-affected areas of NSW
Kempsey Mayor Kinne Ring is calling on Australians to support flood-affected regions of New South Wales by visiting and helping to boost the local economy. 'To be honest, our economy has been hit really hard from primary producers to small businesses – we need all the support we can get, and a part of that is a boost to our visitor economy,' Ms Ring told Sky News host Steve Prince. 'We obviously have some communities that have been hit hard, and there are some places where there is a little bit of mud, but we still have our beautiful coastal villages and hinterlands that are open to people to come and just enjoy.'
Free Malaysia Today
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Record floods devastate eastern Australia
Rescue personnel assist a resident stranded in flooded waters at her home in Port Macquarie, north of Sydney. (AP pic) MAITLAND : Record floods cut a destructive path through eastern Australia on Friday, caking houses in silt, washing out roads and separating 50,000 people from help. Four bodies have been pulled from vast tides of floodwater engulfing parts of northern New South Wales, a fertile region of rivers and valleys some 400km up the coast from Sydney. Salvage crews were preparing to embark on a major clean-up operation as waters started receding Friday morning, surveying the damage from half a year's worth of rain dumped in just three days. 'Our CBD was inundated, so many businesses have had water through and it's going to be a massive cleanup,' said Kinne Ring, mayor of the flood-stricken farming town of Kempsey, referring to its central business district. 'Houses have been inundated,' she told national broadcaster ABC. 'There's water coming through the bottom of houses, it's really awful to see and the water is going to take a bit of time to recede.' State Emergency Service boss Dallas Burnes said more than 2,000 workers had been deployed to the disaster zone. 'A real focus for us at the moment will be resupplying the isolated communities,' he said, adding that 50,000 people were still stranded by the floods. Burnes said rescue crews had plucked more than 600 people to safety since the floods started rising earlier this week. Some people clambered atop cars, houses and highway bridges before helicopters winched them away. The storms have dumped more than six months' worth of rain over just three days, the government weather bureau has said, smashing flood-height records in some areas. 'We are seeing levels in local tributaries, creeks and rivers that we haven't seen since 1920,' state premier Chris Minns told reporters on Thursday. 'Many people will have never seen this level of inundation or flooding in their communities.' In the town of Taree, business owner Jeremy Thornton said the 'gut-wrenching' flood was among the worst he had seen. 'It is pretty tough, we've had a few moments but you have to suck it up and push on,' he told AFP on Thursday. 'We are reliving it every second – hearing the rain, hearing the helicopters, hearing the siren.' Locals spotted dead cows washing up on beaches after swollen rivers swept them from their pastures inland. The government has declared a natural disaster, unlocking greater resources for affected areas. From the arid outback to the tropical coast, swaths of Australia have recently been pummelled by wild weather. The oceans surrounding Australia have been 'abnormally warm' in recent months, according to Australia's government weather bureau. Warmer seas evaporate more moisture into the atmosphere, which can eventually lead to more intense rains. Although difficult to link to specific disasters, climate change is already fuelling more extreme weather patterns, scientists warn. Flood modelling expert Mahdi Sedighkia said this week's emergency offered 'compelling evidence' of how climate change could affect regional weather patterns.
Sky News AU
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Sky News AU
Massive clean-up effort underway on the Mid North Coast after record floods leave four dead and thousands stranded
Recovery efforts will begin on Saturday following a devastating week of record rainfall for much of the NSW coast, with four people killed in flood-related tragedies and roughly 50,000 people still stranded. NSW SES estimates that at least 10,000 properties were damaged by the catastrophic weather, with many communities, particularly in the Northern Rivers region, only recently recovered from the consequences of Cyclone Alfred. Farmers are left grappling with the unquantifiable loss of livestock, as floodwaters washed their cows into nearby rivers and oceans. Muddy water off the NSW Mid North Coast near Nambucca Heads, caused by floodwaters from the Nambucca River, the Bellinger River, and the mouth of the Hastings River, is so intense it is visible from space. Several severe weather warnings were lifted on Friday, with river levels dropping below the dire heights reached throughout the week, and the sun finally peaking through the clouds offering a a glimmer of hope for many communities facing a tough few months ahead. Despite the easing weather, 151 weather warnings remain in place across the state, 31 at emergency level, and 15 communities are still cut off. In Kempsey, residents remain cut off, with the nearby Macleay River holding at around 6.45 meters. Locals are relying on boats as the only means of transportation. Kempsey Mayor Kinne Ring said residents were not prepared for the river to rise so rapidly and the consequences had been "devastating". 'Just the sheer amount of rain that we've seen, the river came up so fast, four meters in just a day, it was absolutely insane,' he told Sky News host Steve Price. 'People weren't prepared, usually we have time when these sorts of events happen, we live on a floodplain, but it just came thick and came fast and it's been really devastating to our community.' Mr Ring said the Kempsey CBD has been severely affected by flooding, causing power outages and water damage to major supermarkets like Woolworths, Coles, and Aldi, resulting in the loss of all their stock. 'We don't know when we'll actually be able to get trucks into the CBD to not only clear the stock, but also provide more stock.' In West Kempsey, a small IGA and bakery are struggling to serve thousands as the area remains isolated from neighbouring communities, Mr Ring said. 'It's a really dire situation here. The SES is stretched across the Mid-North Coast and the Hunter. So getting supplies to people has been really tricky.' The SES has responded to 7,083 incidents during the flood event, including 1,330 in the last 24 hours to 5am Saturday. Of the total incidents, 765 were flood rescues. NSW SES Chief Superintendent Paul McQueen ESM said on Saturday crews would prioritise washouts and assessing damage in locations where floodwaters are receding. 'We're seeing conditions improve and we will have an increased number of volunteers out in force today to start the damage assessment process, which is likely to take some time to complete,' he said early Saturday morning. 'This is important work to allow us to assess any access and safety issues before de-escalating evacuation orders. 'I reiterate this is still a dangerous situation where significant impacts to infrastructure and properties are likely to have occurred.' Mr McQueen said it is not safe for people to return home despite the easing weather, with crews still needing to assess the safety of flood-damaged homes. Unfortunately, it is not possible to let people return to their homes until water further subsides 'Homes and businesses may need to be inspected by a qualified electrician,' he said. 'There are still many communities that remain isolated, with 50,000 people estimated to be impacted. 'We will continue to resupply those isolated residents by land, water and air as part of our multi-agency response. 'We ask you to be patient, remain in a safe location and please don't be tempted to drive through flood waters or go sightseeing.'
Eyewitness News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Eyewitness News
Record floods devastate eastern Australia
MAITLAND, AUSTRALIA - Record floods cut a destructive path through eastern Australia on Friday, caking houses in silt, washing out roads and separating 50,000 people from help. Four bodies have been pulled from vast tides of floodwater engulfing parts of northern New South Wales, a fertile region of rivers and valleys some 400 kilometres (250 miles) up the coast from Sydney. Salvage crews were preparing to launch a major clean-up operation as waters started receding Friday morning, surveying the damage from half a year's worth of rain dumped in just three days. "So many businesses have had water through and it's going to be a massive cleanup," said Kinne Ring, mayor of the flood-stricken farming town of Kempsey. "Houses have been inundated," she told national broadcaster ABC. "There's water coming through the bottom of houses, it's really awful to see and the water is going to take a bit of time to recede." State Emergency Service boss Dallas Burnes said more than 2,000 workers had been deployed on rescue and recovery missions. "A real focus for us at the moment will be resupplying the isolated communities," he said, adding that 50,000 people were still stranded. Burnes said rescue crews had plucked more than 600 people to safety since waters started rising earlier this week. People clambered atop cars, houses and highway bridges before helicopters winched them away. Although the floods were easing, Burnes said the stagnant lakes of muddy water still posed a threat -- including from snakes that may have slithered into homes in search of shelter. "Floodwaters have contaminants. There can be vermin, snakes. You need to assess those risks. "Electricity can also pose a danger as well." 'HORRIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES' The storms have dumped more than six months' worth of rain over three days, the government weather bureau has said, smashing flood-height records in some areas. "These are horrific circumstances," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday as he travelled into the disaster zone. "The Australian Defence Force will be made available. There's going to be a big recovery effort required," he told local radio. "There's been massive damage to infrastructure and we're going to have to all really pitch in." In the town of Taree, business owner Jeremy Thornton said the "gut-wrenching" flood was among the worst he had seen. "It is pretty tough, we've had a few moments but you have to suck it up and push on," he told AFP on Thursday. "We are reliving it every second -- hearing the rain, hearing the helicopters, hearing the siren." Locals spotted dead cows washing up on beaches after swollen rivers swept them from their pastures inland. The government has declared a natural disaster, unlocking greater resources for affected areas. 'COMPELLING EVIDENCE' From the arid outback to the tropical coast, swaths of Australia have recently been pummelled by wild weather. The oceans surrounding Australia have been "abnormally warm" in recent months, according to Australia's government weather bureau. Warmer seas evaporate more moisture into the atmosphere, which can eventually lead to more intense rains. Although difficult to link to specific disasters, climate change is already fuelling more extreme weather patterns, scientists warn. Flood modelling expert Mahdi Sedighkia said this week's emergency offered "compelling evidence" of how climate change could affect regional weather patterns.
Al Arabiya
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Record floods devastate eastern Australia
Record-breaking floods carved a destructive path through eastern Australia on Friday, smothering homes in silt, washing out roads, and leaving 50,000 people stranded without access to help. Four bodies have been recovered from the floodwaters engulfing parts of northern New South Wales — a fertile region of rivers and valleys about 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Sydney. Salvage crews began preparing a large-scale cleanup operation as the waters started to recede Friday morning, following an intense deluge that dumped half a year's worth of rain in just three days. 'So many businesses have had water through and it's going to be a massive cleanup,' said Kinne Ring, mayor of the flood-hit farming town of Kempsey. 'Houses have been inundated,' she told ABC. 'There's water coming through the bottom of houses. It's really awful to see, and the water is going to take a bit of time to recede.' State Emergency Service chief Dallas Burnes said more than 2,000 personnel were involved in rescue and recovery efforts. 'A real focus for us at the moment will be resupplying the isolated communities,' he said, adding that 50,000 people remained cut off. Rescue crews have pulled more than 600 people to safety since the waters began rising earlier in the week. Many had to climb onto cars, rooftops, and highway overpasses before being winched out by helicopters. Although flood levels were easing, Burnes warned that the stagnant lakes of muddy water continued to pose risks, including hidden snakes that may have entered homes seeking shelter. 'Floodwaters have contaminants. There can be vermin, snakes. You need to assess those risks. Electricity can also pose a danger as well,' he said. 'Horrific circumstances' The storms dumped over six months' worth of rainfall in just three days, setting new flood-height records in some areas, according to the government's weather bureau. 'These are horrific circumstances,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday as he visited the disaster zone. 'The Australian Defence Force will be made available. There's going to be a big recovery effort required. There's been massive damage to infrastructure and we're going to have to all really pitch in.' In Taree, business owner Jeremy Thornton described the 'gut-wrenching' flooding as among the worst he'd witnessed. 'It is pretty tough, we've had a few moments but you have to suck it up and push on,' he told AFP. 'We are reliving it every second — hearing the rain, hearing the helicopters, hearing the siren.' Residents reported seeing dead cattle washed up on beaches after rivers swept livestock from inland pastures. The government has declared a natural disaster, unlocking additional resources for affected communities. From the arid interior to the tropical coastline, Australia has recently been battered by a string of extreme weather events. The oceans surrounding the country have been 'abnormally warm' in recent months, the weather bureau reported — a factor that can increase moisture in the atmosphere and fuel heavier rainfall. Although individual weather events are difficult to link directly to global warming, scientists say climate change is already intensifying extreme weather patterns. Flood modelling expert Mahdi Sedighkia said this week's disaster provides 'compelling evidence' of how climate change could reshape regional weather systems.
