AN urgent alert to evacuate has been issued by the NSW State Emergency Service to all people living in North Wagga Wagga and surrounding areas. Those who don’t evacuate are risking death, it says.
The SES urges people not to delay, because they could become trapped and need to be rescued as roads close or become congested.
Wherever possible, stay with family or friends, it said. If not, make other arrangements or attend one of the following three evacuation centres: North Wagga Public School, Hampden Ave, North Wagga Wagga (until 10pm); Senior Citizens Centre, Tarcutta St, Wagga Wagga; Wagga Wagga police station, Tarcutta St.
Earlier, devastating floods that have forced the evacuation of patients from a hospital in northeastern Victoria have been described as the region’s worst in at least 50 years.
Patients are being evacuated from Numurkah District Hospital, near Shepparton, as floodwaters continue to rise.
This comes as police have recovered a body they believe is that of a Victorian man who was dragged into swollen floodwaters in southern NSW.
The 43-year-old’s body was found at Majors Creek in Araluen just after 7am today, an hour after they resumed the search for the man who had gone missing on Saturday, a police spokeswoman told AAP.
The body is yet to be formally identified.
The missing man was in a four-wheel-drive at 7.30pm last night with two other men when they attempted to cross Araluen Creek.
The four-wheel-drive became stuck and the three men attempted to exit the vehicle, before they were washed downstream in the floodwaters.
One of the men was rescued from a tree and another was located downstream. They were both taken to Braidwood Hospital suffering hypothermia and other injuries.
The tragedy occurred as a flood crisis gripped NSW and Victoria – and was not expected to ease until midweek, with another deluge to hit in the next 24 hours.
October 30, 2012 
WRC559 