New South Wales gets flood 'hammering'

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SYDNEY, March 8 (UPI) -- Rivers in the Australian state of New South Wales continued to rise Thursday with rain giving the region what one local official called a "hammering."

Sydney, Australia's largest city, endured its heaviest rainfall in more than a quarter-century, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. About 4 inches fell in 24 hours, and residents described cars floating down some flooded streets.

In Forbes, about 120 miles west of Sydney, Mayor Phyllis Miller said the Lachlan River had cut the town in two.

"We've been copping a hammering with bad weather with our roads, let alone having a flood go over them. And of course there will be a lot of debris around after the water clears," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "We're getting a bit tired but we've got to pick ourselves up because we've got recovery to happen."

The State Emergency Service ordered evacuations in several communities along the Murrumbidgee River. The river is not expected to crest downstream until next week.