THE SES is receiving 200 calls an hour as wild weather continues to lash NSW, particularly the Hunter and mid-north coast regions.
DOZENS of people are stranded in the showground of the small town of Stroud near Newcastle but they are safe, while a floodwater rescue operation is underway in Hunter area.
“We have hundreds and hundreds of volunteers out in the field and we are calling in more from other parts of Sydney and now up onto the Hunter area,” State Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Steve Pearce told the ABC on Tuesday. Mr Pearce said the police and NSW Fire and Rescue had been called in to help the SES on the 2400 call-outs they’ve received so far, with many more expected in daylight when people can see the damage around their homes. Electricity companies are trying to restore power to thousands of residences and businesses across the eastern seaboard. “We’ve had 24 hours of relentless gale-force winds. I haven’t seen this wind damage for years,” Mr Pearce said.
source:theaustralian.com.au
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