Record flood in Australia leaves 3 dead, 1 missing

Record floodwaters on Australia’s east coast left three people dead and one missing, officials said on Thursday, as more heavy rain was forecast in the area.

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More than 500 people were rescued in the flooding emergency in New South Wales state north of Sydney. The area has been hit with heavy rain since Tuesday.

The flooding exceeds local records set in 1921 and 1929.

News South Wales Premier Christopher Minns said some areas were forecast to receive as much as 30 cm of rain in the next 24 hours.

He said 50,000 people were warned to prepare to evacuate or be isolated by floodwaters, telling reporters: “We are bracing for more bad news.”

The body of a 63-year-old man was recovered from a flooded house in Moto in New South Wales on Wednesday afternoon, Acting Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said.

A coroner will determine whether a pre-existing medical condition played a part in his death, he added.

The body of a man, aged in his 30s, was recovered from floodwaters near Rosewood early Thursday, a police statement said.

He had disappeared while attempting to drive through a flooded intersection on Wednesday night.