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Time of India
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Australia's deadliest floods in years kill 4, leave 50,000 stranded in crisis
Australia is facing one of its most devastating flood crises in decades. In New South Wales, relentless torrential rains have submerged entire towns. The disaster has resulted in at least four confirmed deaths, with one person still missing. The latest death was a man in his 70s who was found deceased in a submerged car north-west of Coffs Harbour this morning. Approximately 50,000 residents are isolated due to road closures and power outages. Emergency services have conducted over 670 rescues, many involving individuals who attempted to drive through floodwaters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Edema? Do this before doing anything else: Medene Learn More Undo Approximately 2,500 emergency workers, including 2,200 NSW SES volunteers and professionals, have been deployed to the affected regions. They are supported by over 500 vehicles and boats, 13 helicopters, and hundreds of drones. Also Read: Manning River breaks 1929 flood record Live Events Power outages and infrastructure damage Power outages continue to affect thousands of people, particularly in the Mid North Coast region. Essential Energy, a state-owned electricity infrastructure company, has reported that the worst-affected areas are around Taree, where falling vegetation and rising floodwaters have damaged powerlines. As of 6:00 AM(Local time) on Friday, May 23, 2025, Essential Energy reports that over 5,720 homes and businesses remain without power across the Mid North Coast. Crews work tirelessly to restore electricity, but progress is hindered by hazardous conditions such as fallen trees, floodwaters, and limited access to affected areas. In many areas, helicopters and drones are being deployed to assess and repair damage in hard-to-reach locations. Hundreds of roads are also closed or experiencing changed conditions due to the impact on traffic across affected areas. The Warragamba Dam, Sydney's primary water source, is at 96% capacity, raising concerns about potential spills in the coming days Dairy stocks and livestock losses In Barrington, dairy farmer James McRae reported that entire herds were swept away as the river burst its banks, leaving families with nothing. Similarly, in the Lower Macleay region, Sue McGinn described the situation as an animal welfare crisis, with her 200 cows enduring harsh conditions and limited access to food. Floodwaters have inundated farms, destroying feed supplies and damaging infrastructure. The full economic impact is still being assessed, but early estimates suggest millions of dollars in damages. Rescues and warnings Over 670 flood rescues have been carried out since the event began, including 177 in the 24 hours leading up to 5 am this morning. More than 150 flood warnings are active across NSW, with 40 at critical emergency level, prompting urgent "shelter in place or evacuate" orders from the NSW State Emergency Service (SES). Government action Both the Australian federal and New South Wales (NSW) state governments have mounted a substantial and coordinated response to the ongoing flood crisis, prioritizing immediate life-saving operations and laying the groundwork for recovery. Beyond the immediate crisis, comprehensive financial and practical assistance is being rolled out. The declaration of a natural disaster has unlocked federal and state grants, including the Disaster Recovery Allowance for income support in four severely impacted local government areas, with claims opening on Monday. Prime Minister Anthony noted that the federal disaster recovery allowance payment had been activated, giving support to people in affected areas, with 16 local government areas where disaster assistance has been triggered. Joint government funding is also available for emergency accommodation, essential items, grants for uninsured residents, and loans for businesses and farmers to aid in their recovery. High-level leadership, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns, is planning to visit the flood zones to assess damage firsthand and express solidarity with affected communities. However, they are unable to reach Taree as of now due to a flood-cut road. What's next? The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned that heavy downpours, potentially bringing up to 160mm of rain, will extend south through NSW today. While the hardest-hit Mid North Coast and Hunter regions may see some reprieve from the heaviest falls, river systems remain dangerously high, and the threat of flash flooding looms over areas further south, including Sydney. Experts widely agree that climate change is intensifying extreme rainfall events, making floods more frequent and severe in Australia. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said, 'Every weather event can't be traced down specifically to climate change, because there's always been extreme weather events in Australia. But what you can say is … the science told us they'd be more frequent and more intense and that's precisely what is happening, which is why my government are taking it so seriously.' While the heaviest rain may ease in some areas, river levels will remain high for days, and communities will continue to be isolated. Emergency services will remain on high alert for further rescues and to provide essential supplies. Once floodwaters recede, the immediate focus will shift to assessing the full extent of damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure (roads, bridges, power lines), and agricultural land. This will be followed by massive clean-up operations. The rebuilding process will be a significant undertaking, likely taking months, if not years, in some severely hit areas.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
BMC to look into sun shade plaints by citizen reporters
1 2 3 4 Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said it will look into complaints made by citizen reporters about the shabby appearance, traffic obstruction and structural vulnerability of temporary sun shades at traffic junctions in the city. BMC has reinstalled the structures as the city grapples with severe heat. The durability of the structures came under scrutiny after several of them collapsed during a thunderstorm on April 18. "I witnessed one collapse near Kalinga Studio Chowk, causing a major traffic jam," citizen reporter Shreshtha Choudhury wrote. "BMC should be urged to remove these temporary bamboo structures erected on the traffic signals…The authorities need to understand the roofing is of cloth which is transparent. How is it blocking the sun rays? In case of any strong winds, it can be a potential disaster. Lastly, it is also an eyesore," wrote Shivaji Mohinta, another citizen reporter. Commuters have expressed concerns about traffic congestion . "The shades make the road crowded and slow us down, especially during peak hours," said R Pradhan, a food delivery rider in Patia. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Edema? Read this short article before doing anything else: Medene Learn More Undo Acknowledging the issues, city mayor Sulochana Das emphasised BMC's commitment to public health during the summer months. "We understand they may not look aesthetic, but the feedback we received last year showed that they do help people," said Das. "With temperatures soaring close to 40°C, the bamboo and plastic structures aim to protect citizens from sunstroke. This year's shades were built larger to accommodate the new double-decker buses," she said. The corporation has also announced plans to install solar-powered shades at AG Square and Kalinga Hospital Square as a more sustainable solution to start with. BMC utilises an online tendering process to install the structures through registered vendors, with each costing around Rs 3 to Rs 3.5 lakh.
