Australia – In the past six months, Sydney resident Kevin has experienced four floods in his home. He points to filth on his house’s walls that reaches the height of his shoulders due to flood waters, which is surrounded by filthy debris in his yard.
On Tuesday, he evacuated his home along with thousands of other New South Wales residents, many of whom were in the western suburbs of Sydney. He had been given notice that he might be ordered to leave.
Following three recent floods in his Camden suburb, Kevin, who would only go by his first name, had planned to move. Kevin is currently undergoing cancer treatment. Kevin’s belongings were harmed by the most recent downpour because moving companies couldn’t agree on a date, though.
Naturally, I’ve had enough. “I’m moving; it’s all over,” Kevin told Reuters.
The latest wild storm cell, which dumped a year’s worth of rain in some areas in three days, is expected to subside in Sydney starting on Tuesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). However, because most river catchments were already close to capacity before the most recent downpour, the risk of flooding may continue through the rest of the week.
Gai and Kim Peters, fellow Camden residents, were also impacted by the erratic weather, and as they started to clean up, they piled furniture that had been flooded and a mattress on the sidewalk in front of their house. Just over two years ago, they made the house their own.
Gai described herself as “completely devastated.”
It’s really difficult. We’re just getting by, taking each day as it comes. We’ll make it through because a lot of family members have come and are supporting us.
(Jill Gralow and Stefica Nicol Bikes reported; Alexandra Hudson edited.)