South-Eastern Australia on Tuesday, reeled from a pounding storm as the fourth person was confirmed dead, with three still missing, the reports said.
A 75-year-old woman was found dead in Latrobe, Northern Tasmania after her husband was rescued from the roof of their flooded house.
The said that the storm started at the weekend and lasted until Monday brought record flooding and damaged properties across the east and south-east coastline, the report said.
“We rescued over 100 people who have made poor decisions and put themselves into danger by entering flood waters,” Police Commissioner Darren Hine was quoted as saying.
According to the report, three men died in separate incidents when their cars were swept away in New South Wales and Canberra.
It said that the storm surge combined with high spring tides washed away up to 50 metres of coastline at the prosperous beach areas of Collaroy and Narrabeen.
“This was a ferocious storm that has devastated communities, washing away beaches, flooding inland areas and inundating businesses,” State Premier of New South Wales, Mike Baird said.
News footage showed waterfront properties teetering on the edge of the new sandbank, some with rooms missing or swimming pools tipped into the sea as the ground beneath them was washed away.
Baird said he was appointing the state’s retired police deputy commissioner to the position of state recovery coordinator to oversee the cleanup. (dpa/NAN)