Flood Evacuations In Australia

SYDNEY (AP) — Thousands of residents in Sydney suburbs were told to evacuate their homes on Sunday after heavy rains caused floodwaters to rise and rivers to overflow in what authorities called life-threatening emergencies. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain and flash floods and winds of up to 55 miles per hour along the coast of Australia’s most populous city and other parts of New South Wales state. Authorities said that Warragamba Dam in western Sydney began overflowing overnight and the peak spill would be comparable to devastating flooding in March last year. Residents in a number of suburbs have been ordered to evacuate, but Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said people don’t need to wait to be told to leave.