Rising Victoria flood waters prompt evacuation

Rising Victoria flood waters prompt evacuation

Rising flood waters in the Australian state of Victoria have prompted authorities there to order an evacuation of five more towns as rivers breached their banks.

Meanwhile, flood waters in Brisbane, Queensland have began to subside and cleaning operations are underway. Traffic was starting to come back to Brisbane's streets yesterday.

Australia's State Emergency Service said that 51 towns in Victoria were flooded, affecting about 1,700 homes. Horsham, 300 kilometers north-west of Melbourne, is expected to bear the brunt of flooding today. Victorian police and rescue groups said they are still searching for an 8-year-old boy who went missing after he went swimming with his siblings yesterday.

"Our thoughts are with everybody who is dealing with this emerging flood crisis in Victoria and my thoughts are particularly with the family and friends of the missing boy who are dealing with such a tragic situation," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said today in Melbourne .

The economic impact of the floods that have hit the Australian states of Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales is the worst ever in the history of Australia according to Gillard. The National Australia Bank estimates that the floods in Queensland alone will cut gross domestic product for the first quarter by 0.8 percent.

The State Emergency Service said about 4,000 residents in several towns in Victoria are affected. At least 13 rivers were under flood warnings according to the Bureau of Meteorology in a statement. Gillard said the government is stepping up rescue and relief operations to help flood victims in Victoria.

Posted by George Daniels on Tuesday January 18 2011, 3:00 AM EDT. Ref: Bloomberg. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0