[국제]Australia’s NSW flood in 100 years… traffic paralysis and residents’ evacuation order

[앵커]

The state of New South Wales, off the southeastern coast of Australia, is experiencing the worst flooding in 100 years with a recent record heavy rain.

The rain is expected to continue through Wednesday, and the damage is likely to be greater.

Reporter Yeojin Lee delivers.

[기자]

The driveway was cut off by a record heavy rain for three days.

The building is completely locked and only the roof is barely visible.

Several people rushed to save the drowned horse and tried CPR, but it was useless.

Urgent discharge was carried out as it flooded the drinking water source.

With 38 disaster zones declared, 18,000 people were evacuated and 700 people were rescued.

[샤론 존스 / 재난 지역 거주자 : 아! 카펫과 찬장 등 아래층에 있는 모든 게 없어졌어요. 하지만 이웃이 저보다 더 큰 피해를 겪었기 때문에 작은 자비에 감사해야 합니다.]

Sydney has seen 111 millimeters of rain on Sunday alone, and the northern shores of New South Wales have poured over 900 millimeters of rainfall over the last six days, three times the average of March.

The New South Wales Department of Disaster Management tweeted that it was “the highest level of flooding since the November 1961 flood.”

A year ago, the area suffered from drought, limited water supplies and unprecedented wildfires.

[글래디스 베레지클리언 / 호주 뉴사우스웨일스 주지사 : 우리 주 역사상 이렇게 빠른 속도로 연달아 극한의 날씨를 겪은 적이 없었던 것 같아요. 특히 코로나19 상황에서 말이죠.]

The Governor said that the coastal region of North Central China, which has been particularly hit hard, is “a disaster that will happen once in 100 years.”

But the rain is forecast to continue until Wednesday, and authorities are concerned that 54,000 people will be displaced.

[스콧 모리슨 / 호주 총리 : 호주가 다시 한번 시험대에 올랐습니다. 앞으로 24∼48시간 이상 비 예보가 내려진 곳이 많은데요, 저는 더 심각할까 우려됩니다.]

Prime Minister Morrison cautioned that there have been no casualties until now, but the flood has weakened the ground and the water level is continuing to rise.

This is YTN Lee Yeo-jin.

[저작권자(c) YTN & YTN plus 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]