'The Water No Longer Flows': Cracked Riverbed Shows Extent of Drought in NSW

Storyful
4 年前

Severely cracked soil and a dried up riverbed is all that’s left of Moree’s Mehi River in drought-affected northern New South Wales, according to a video posted to Instagram by a local.

In a post Moree local Kat (@the_freckled_kat) said “The drought goes on…the cracks in the riverbed are wider than my work boots, the dust is now a constant companion and the water no longer flows. We aren’t even in the worst affected area.”

A comparison photo posted to Instagram by Kat shows the river at the same spot in May 2018.

The Department of Primary Industries has declared the entire Moree Plains area of New South Wales to be in intense drought.

The drought affecting New South Wales and Queensland has forced new announcements of funding from politicians, including a $1 billion investment into dam infrastructure by the NSW Government and a $100 million package by the federal government in September.

The Bureau of Meteorology expects this year’s warm and dry trend for the eastern states to continue for the remainder of 2019. Credit: @the_freckled_kat via Storyful