A major dam in Central West New South Wales is spilling tens of thousands of megalitres, worsening the region’s flood crisis.
The Wyangala Dam is releasing a record 230,000 megalitres every day, threatening towns along the Lachlan River.
In the past 24 hours, there have been over 900 assistance requests and 222 flood rescues.
This is the second time in a fortnight that the area has become inundated and part of the third series of floods hitting the region this year.
“Our communities in the Central West have been battered and bruised and they are in the firing line again,” Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters.
Residents in the town of Forbes, a low-lying area, were told to evacuate by 7am local time, though many had not returned since the previous flood two weeks earlier.
It’s expected that the town will break a 70-year flood record of 10. 79m by the end of the week.
“We were only there two weeks ago,” Perrottet added, “They have gone through flood event after flood event. ”
120 flood warnings are in place across the state, including 24 emergencies.
The NSW SES has performed 150 rescues so far and 12 flood rescue operators from New Zealand will arrive in Parkes today to aid them and local volunteers..
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