الأحد 2012-02-05 02:24:09 What\'s on
Australia flood sparks mass evacuations
Australia flood sparks mass evacuations

Pic: An aerial image of residential suburbs and industrial areas inundated as flood waters devastate much of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, January 13, 2011

Authorities on Sunday urged the residents of St George, a town of 3,800 people in Queensland, to leave their homes as time is running out to shore up a levee.

"Significant rises upstream indicate possible above-record levels by midday Monday with further rises possible," officials said in an emergency alert to the town.

"Residents are strongly encouraged to self-evacuate to areas not affected by flood waters via the Moonie Highway while that access is open and remains available,” the alert added.

The situation is expected to get worse as more heavy rains are forecast to hit parts of Queensland in the coming days.

Two major series of flooding have struck St George in the past two years, with the swollen Balonne River hitting a record 13.4 meters (44 feet) in March 2010.

An unprecedented flooding swamped the city last year, claiming 35 lives across the state, and ruined vast tracts of farmland and flooded tens of thousands of homes.

Meanwhile, thousands have fled their homes in Australia's eastern state of New South Wales due to the deluge as more than 7,000 people were stranded across the state, prompting a full-scale emergency operation there.

As the natural crisis deepens, the inland town of Roma has been cut off by the massive floodwaters, which also isolated an evacuation center in the town of Mitchell.

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