Mooie foto's .. nou ja, mooi.. het laat goed zien hoe ernstig het is. Maar ik ben het met je eens dat de meeste aussies er gewoon 'relaxed' onder blijven. Beter zo dan dat ze er depressed door raken :grin:
The NSW government today extended its disaster declaration to areas on the mid-north coast being buffeted by the same storms that have wreaked havoc from Queensland to Coffs Harbour.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan on Saturday said the Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca and Port Macquarie-Hastings areas had been declared disaster zones.
The Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley local government areas were declared disaster zones by Premier Nathan Rees on Friday.
Today all beaches between Sydney and the Queensland Coast had been closed as storms that have battered northern NSW continued to whip up huge seas.
Surf Life Saving NSW and the Australian Lifeguard Service have warned people to stay out of the surf along the NSW coast north of Sydney, saying dangerous beach conditions, winds up to 90km/h, and high tides are a concern.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast swells of six metres, along the NSW coastline.
Waves were particularly large north of Port Macquarie," the BOM said.
"Tides will be higher than normal (on Saturday) and are expected to exceed the highest tide level of the year. Some inundation of low lying areas is likely to occur on the high tide north of Port Macquarie."
The lifesaving bodies also told people to stay away from creek and river mouths, and to avoid near shore boating and fishing.
Flooded sections of the Pacific Highway today had turned the thoroughfare into a tourist attraction, thanks to the downpour that has inundated the NSW North Coast.
Parts of the road from Ballina to Coffs Harbour were swamped by up to two metres of water, frustrating motorists and forcing major detours.
At Iluka, 50 kilometres south of Ballina, a dozen locals gathered on the highway and at the water's edge to take in the view.
The NSW State Emergency Service estimated the floods have isolated more than 21,000 people and the situation could persist for the next two days.
In Queensland, Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said conditions were expected to rapidly deteriorate through the course of the day and posed a dangerous risk from the Gold Coast to Fraser Island.
Residents should stay well away from coastal areas, as gale force winds, abnormally high tides and huge swells lash southeast Queensland, he warned.
"The Bureau of Meteorology advises that very large, strong and extremely dangerous waves are expected to develop along with gale force onshore winds over the waters south of Cape Moreton during the morning, and extend northwards to Sandy Cape in the afternoon and evening," he said.
"Damaging wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres an hour may eventuate between the Gold Coast and Fraser Island today, and these winds have the potential to down trees and power lines," he said.
Mr Roberts said residents in low-lying and exposed areas near the coast, particularly in caravan parks, needed to be alert and exercise extreme caution.
There have also been reports of furniture being blown down from high rises onto footpaths and roads, he said
Residents were being asked to tie down or store away any loose outside furniture to avoid it being blown away.
"High tides are expected at 7.21pm on the Sunshine Coast and 7.32pm on the Gold Coast," he said.
The warnings came as police evacuated residents from foreshore caravan parks on the Sunshine Coast amid fears mobile homes could be flooded.
Sunshine Coast disaster coordinator Acting Superintendent Darryl White said residents were being evacuated from Tripcony Hibiscus Caravan Park at Caloundra, Ocean Breeze at Mooloolaba, Military Jetty at Golden Beach and Cotton Tree Caravan Park at Cotton Tree.
