New South Wales coast hit by floods

COFFS HARBOR, Australia, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Flooding on the northern coast of New South Wales in Australia left thousands of people stranded Saturday, officials said.

By Saturday morning, about 18 inches of rain had fallen in Coffs Harbor, and more than a foot in Bellingen in two days of downpours, The Coffs Coast Advocate reported.

Steve Whan, emergency services minister for New South Wales, declared a disaster Friday.

There were few evacuations with residents of about 40 houses forced to leave just after midnight Saturday. But more than 5,000 people were in areas that had become unreachable because of flooded roads and unsafe bridges.

Emergency Services was monitoring conditions in the isolated areas, prepared for medical evacuations and to supply essential items.