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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2016/jun/06/wild-weather-flood-warnings-victoria-tasmania-storm-sydney-south-coast-live
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| Two dead and several more missing after east coast storms – rolling report | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 3.13am BST | |
| 03:13 | |
| NSW police have issued a statement about the two men who have been found in floodwaters, one in Leppington and one in Bowral. | |
| Police divers have retrieved the bodies of two men in separate cars which were swept into flood waters at Bowral and in Sydney’s south west yesterday. | |
| About 5pm on Sunday, emergency services were called to Anthony Road, Leppington, after receiving information of a white utility entering a causeway and being washed away. | |
| Police from Camden Local Area Command commenced a search of the flood affected area, with the assistance from the State Emergency Service, without success. | |
| The search resumed at 6.30am today, and police located the body of a man in a vehicle. | |
| The man’s body was retrieved with the assistance of police divers about 11.30am. | |
| In a separate incident at Bowral, emergency services were called to Mittagong Creek about 5.30pm yesterday (Sunday 5 June 2016), following reports a car was seen in flood waters with its hazard lights flashing. Police from The Hume Local Area Command and the State Emergency Service conducted a search; however, they were unable to locate the vehicle. | |
| At 8.30am today, a vehicle was located in Mittagong Creek on Mittagong Road, Bowral. Police recovered the vehicle and located the body of a 65-year-old man who is yet to be formally identified. | |
| Reports will be prepared for the Coroner. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.14am BST | |
| 3.10am BST | |
| 03:10 | |
| Tasmanian police hold grave concerns for two elderly people missing as heavy rain drenches the island state, AAP reports. | |
| Search and rescue specialists are searching in Ouse after reports a man in his 80s may have been swept away by flood waters. | |
| Another elderly man was rescued from his Latrobe home earlier on Monday morning by helicopter as water inundated his home but his wife is missing. | |
| #BREAKING Two people reportedly missing in #Tasmania: man in his 80s in #Ouse + female in #Latrobe. More to come. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.11am BST | |
| 3.01am BST | |
| 03:01 | |
| Police confirm two NSW floodwater deaths and a search for a third is underway | |
| According to AAP: Police have confirmed the body of a 65-year-old man was found on Monday in a vehicle in Mittagong Creek near Bowral after he was reported missing on Sunday.The body of another man has been found in a ute at Leppington in Sydney’s southwest, with police searching for another person who was reportedly swept away. | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.02am BST | |
| 2.58am BST | |
| 02:58 | |
| Guardian Australia’s Graham Russell has taken some photos outside Avoca Beach surf club today, which is about 95km north of Sydney. | |
| The work of last night's high tide outside Avoca beach surf club. #SydneyStorm pic.twitter.com/2EeL8fWXSB | |
| Graham tells me: “The boat ramp has been dislodged, recycle bins on the concrete slab are gone, the club has been sandbagged, the walkway is half gone, bricks are all over the car park, but only a couple of houses appear to be damaged. Surf looks awesome so plenty of snappers about. Consensus seems to be it’s not as bad as ‘74. Still saw a jet skier out.” | |
| Avoca beach walkway - bricks from here ended up in car park #SydneyStorm pic.twitter.com/BZGE2q46Q0 | |
| Updated | |
| at 3.01am BST | |
| 2.54am BST | |
| 02:54 | |
| Josh Bartlett, a reporter with Southern Highland News, reports that a man has died after being trapped in his vehicle in Mittagong Creek. It is unclear whether this is one of the two deaths NSW police are referring to. Bartlett reports: | |
| On Monday morning, local police and assisting crew discovered a 65-year-old Mittagong man behind the wheel of his silver Mazda in Mittagong Creek (behind Bowral Swimming Pool). | |
| Chief Inspector John Sheehan said police were notified at 5.30pm on Sunday about a car being possibly stuck in the creek. | |
| Chief Insp Sheehan said police with assistance from SES, Goulburn Police Rescue and council crew discovered the man deceased in his vehicle at about 8.30am on Monday. | |
| “We are preparing a report for the coroner and investigations will continue,” he said. | |
| Meanwhile, another body has been found in Sydney’s south-west, the ABC reports. Again, unclear if this is one of the two deaths NSW police are shortly to issue a statement about. | |
| #BREAKING Man's body found in floodwaters at Leppington in Sydney's south west. Search underway for possible second body | |
| 2.47am BST | |
| 02:47 | |
| NSW police say they will be issuing a statement shortly about the two deaths in that state. | |
| 2.43am BST | 2.43am BST |
| 02:43 | 02:43 |
| Tragically, it appears there may have also been floodwater-related deaths in NSW. I’ll try to get more details shortly. | Tragically, it appears there may have also been floodwater-related deaths in NSW. I’ll try to get more details shortly. |
| #BREAKING: Police operation near Camden to retrieve two bodies suspected to be swept from ute. #9News https://t.co/3kTbWfiQyZ | #BREAKING: Police operation near Camden to retrieve two bodies suspected to be swept from ute. #9News https://t.co/3kTbWfiQyZ |
| 2.40am BST | 2.40am BST |
| 02:40 | 02:40 |
| From ABC News 24: | From ABC News 24: |
| That east coast low is now moving towards Tasmania, where four of the State’s major rivers are at bursting point ahead of more torrential rain. | That east coast low is now moving towards Tasmania, where four of the State’s major rivers are at bursting point ahead of more torrential rain. |
| They’re expecting another 100mm there over the next few days. The State Emergency Service says river levels in Launceston have already surpassed those from back in 1929 when floods left 5,000 people homeless. There are major flood warnings for [several] river basins. There’s also a risk of flooding around Kimberley, Railton, Latrobe and Forth in the north-west. | They’re expecting another 100mm there over the next few days. The State Emergency Service says river levels in Launceston have already surpassed those from back in 1929 when floods left 5,000 people homeless. There are major flood warnings for [several] river basins. There’s also a risk of flooding around Kimberley, Railton, Latrobe and Forth in the north-west. |
| But the good news is, people can be reassured that there’s been a lot of changes obviously to emergency response and arrangements since 1929. | But the good news is, people can be reassured that there’s been a lot of changes obviously to emergency response and arrangements since 1929. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.41am BST | at 2.41am BST |
| 2.22am BST | 2.22am BST |
| 02:22 | 02:22 |
| In the wake of the tragic death, the chief executive officer of the ACT State Emergency Service, Conrad Barr, has urged people not to drive through floodwaters. It has to be said that there is no indication that the 37 year-old who died was deliberately chasing floodwaters to drive through in his four-wheel drive. The circumstances leading up to the tragedy is a matter of police investigation. However, Barr warns: | In the wake of the tragic death, the chief executive officer of the ACT State Emergency Service, Conrad Barr, has urged people not to drive through floodwaters. It has to be said that there is no indication that the 37 year-old who died was deliberately chasing floodwaters to drive through in his four-wheel drive. The circumstances leading up to the tragedy is a matter of police investigation. However, Barr warns: |
| Don’t try to drive through floodwaters. It doesn’t matter what you think, the current is often a lot faster than it appears, and sometimes under a couple of centimetres of dirty, muddy water you can have part of a roadway or great big holes, boulders, logs, all sorts of things that can catch your vehicle and it doesn’t take too much water and pressure against the side of a vehicle to turn it into a temporary boat. | Don’t try to drive through floodwaters. It doesn’t matter what you think, the current is often a lot faster than it appears, and sometimes under a couple of centimetres of dirty, muddy water you can have part of a roadway or great big holes, boulders, logs, all sorts of things that can catch your vehicle and it doesn’t take too much water and pressure against the side of a vehicle to turn it into a temporary boat. |
| [I] can’t stress more highly, please don’t try to drive through floodwaters, and steer clear of things like storm-water drains and all those sorts of things. I know it might look spectacular but it’s far safer being inside, out of the rain. | [I] can’t stress more highly, please don’t try to drive through floodwaters, and steer clear of things like storm-water drains and all those sorts of things. I know it might look spectacular but it’s far safer being inside, out of the rain. |
| 37yo man dead after being swept away by 'savage' floodwaters in Cotter River near Canberra: https://t.co/FkIbMPkIve https://t.co/aR9nve1aXE | 37yo man dead after being swept away by 'savage' floodwaters in Cotter River near Canberra: https://t.co/FkIbMPkIve https://t.co/aR9nve1aXE |
| 2.15am BST | 2.15am BST |
| 02:15 | 02:15 |
| More from Sgt Hains, who said police came across the man stuck in his vehicle and unable to cross floodwaters at about 4.30pm yesterday. His body was not found and recovered until this morning, Hains said. | More from Sgt Hains, who said police came across the man stuck in his vehicle and unable to cross floodwaters at about 4.30pm yesterday. His body was not found and recovered until this morning, Hains said. |
| During the course of trying to ascertain a safe method to extract that male, the vehicle has shifted and the male has disappeared from view along with the vehicle. A search was then undertaken and a short time later, police, along with emergency services, ACT Fire and Rescue, located what we believe to be a a body stuck in raging floodwaters on an island in the middle of the river. | During the course of trying to ascertain a safe method to extract that male, the vehicle has shifted and the male has disappeared from view along with the vehicle. A search was then undertaken and a short time later, police, along with emergency services, ACT Fire and Rescue, located what we believe to be a a body stuck in raging floodwaters on an island in the middle of the river. |
| Police and emergency services worked on a plan together to try to retrieve the deceased. It was not safe to to so last night and police maintained a presence there all night. And this morning, ACT emergency services and ACT policing resources reconvened at the scene and have retrieved the body of a 37-year-old male. | Police and emergency services worked on a plan together to try to retrieve the deceased. It was not safe to to so last night and police maintained a presence there all night. And this morning, ACT emergency services and ACT policing resources reconvened at the scene and have retrieved the body of a 37-year-old male. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.20am BST | at 2.20am BST |
| 2.10am BST | 2.10am BST |
| 02:10 | 02:10 |
| Police say the body of a 37-year-old man has been recovered from the Cotter River | Police say the body of a 37-year-old man has been recovered from the Cotter River |
| Police are holding a press conference about the body found in the Cotter River, and the details are tragic. Station Sgt Harry Hains says: | Police are holding a press conference about the body found in the Cotter River, and the details are tragic. Station Sgt Harry Hains says: |
| We got a call in relation to two young males who’d been out four-wheel driving and they realised they couldn’t get back across the river. Police attended, along with emergency services, Fire and Rescue, to go and assist those males. | We got a call in relation to two young males who’d been out four-wheel driving and they realised they couldn’t get back across the river. Police attended, along with emergency services, Fire and Rescue, to go and assist those males. |
| In the course of trying to locate a safe point for those males, we located another vehicle, stuck in the river, with a male in the vehicle. That is the vehicle which was subsequently swept by the floodwaters, flipped and disappeared from view, with the male’s body subsequently being recovered early this morning. | In the course of trying to locate a safe point for those males, we located another vehicle, stuck in the river, with a male in the vehicle. That is the vehicle which was subsequently swept by the floodwaters, flipped and disappeared from view, with the male’s body subsequently being recovered early this morning. |
| So that man was still alive when police... | So that man was still alive when police... |
| That is correct. | That is correct. |
| He said the man was in a four-wheel drive, and that the car was yet to be recovered. Hains said he understood the man had been trying to cross a bush track. The man’s family had been notified, he said. | He said the man was in a four-wheel drive, and that the car was yet to be recovered. Hains said he understood the man had been trying to cross a bush track. The man’s family had been notified, he said. |
| I’d like to also say it’s an absolute tragedy and our condolences go out to the family. | I’d like to also say it’s an absolute tragedy and our condolences go out to the family. |
| Hains added that he did not know why the man had been out driving. But he issued a warning to anyone considering driving through the floodwaters. | Hains added that he did not know why the man had been out driving. But he issued a warning to anyone considering driving through the floodwaters. |
| What I would like to say is that these types of weather conditions, extreme weather conditions we’ve experienced, do lead adventure-seeking type people to seek mud with their four-wheel drives. There is no risk worth taking to cross a flooded river to go and seek some piece of dirt to drive your four-wheel drive on. If a river looks too deep to cross, it’s too deep to cross. | What I would like to say is that these types of weather conditions, extreme weather conditions we’ve experienced, do lead adventure-seeking type people to seek mud with their four-wheel drives. There is no risk worth taking to cross a flooded river to go and seek some piece of dirt to drive your four-wheel drive on. If a river looks too deep to cross, it’s too deep to cross. |
| Body of 37 yr old Canberra man recovered from Cotter River this am. Washed away in car yesterday. @abcnewsCanberra pic.twitter.com/haxTwzqkTe | Body of 37 yr old Canberra man recovered from Cotter River this am. Washed away in car yesterday. @abcnewsCanberra pic.twitter.com/haxTwzqkTe |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.21am BST | at 2.21am BST |
| 1.59am BST | 1.59am BST |
| 01:59 | 01:59 |
| Meanwhile, in Victoria. | Meanwhile, in Victoria. |
| Richard Carlyon, a senior forecaster with the state’s Bureau of Meteorology says the wild weather has only “just glanced” Victoria. The far eastern corner of the state in East Gippsland is the only region affected by the weather system, Carlyon says. But things should be back to normal there by this evening. | Richard Carlyon, a senior forecaster with the state’s Bureau of Meteorology says the wild weather has only “just glanced” Victoria. The far eastern corner of the state in East Gippsland is the only region affected by the weather system, Carlyon says. But things should be back to normal there by this evening. |
| “Heavy rain is still continuing in East Gippsland but it has started to ease a little this morning,” Carlyon says. | “Heavy rain is still continuing in East Gippsland but it has started to ease a little this morning,” Carlyon says. |
| “We’ll see that be maintained for the next six hours and then the rain will clear later this afternoon. By tonight they should be back to mostly fine conditions. We have four flood warnings current and we’ll keep an eye on the rivers in East Gippsland, but this weather has only really just glanced our state.” | “We’ll see that be maintained for the next six hours and then the rain will clear later this afternoon. By tonight they should be back to mostly fine conditions. We have four flood warnings current and we’ll keep an eye on the rivers in East Gippsland, but this weather has only really just glanced our state.” |
| The heaviest rainfall in the last two hours were in Genoa, with 171mm, Gabo island with 157mm and Mallacoota with 153mm. | The heaviest rainfall in the last two hours were in Genoa, with 171mm, Gabo island with 157mm and Mallacoota with 153mm. |
| Flood Watch for East Gippsland (Mitchell, Tambo, Snowy, Cann and Genoa Rivers and Gippsland Lakes): https://t.co/DgPm8j7e6X #vicfloods | Flood Watch for East Gippsland (Mitchell, Tambo, Snowy, Cann and Genoa Rivers and Gippsland Lakes): https://t.co/DgPm8j7e6X #vicfloods |
| 1.39am BST | 1.39am BST |
| 01:39 | 01:39 |
| I have just spoken to ACT police media, who have confirmed a body has been found in the Cotter river area, but that is all they can say at this stage. The SES and police will be holding a media conference at 11am with more details. | I have just spoken to ACT police media, who have confirmed a body has been found in the Cotter river area, but that is all they can say at this stage. The SES and police will be holding a media conference at 11am with more details. |
| A body has been found in the Cotter River. It is believed they were swept away in flood waters. #9Today https://t.co/aTbs03Obf5 | A body has been found in the Cotter River. It is believed they were swept away in flood waters. #9Today https://t.co/aTbs03Obf5 |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.42am BST | at 1.42am BST |