An elderly woman drowned in flood waters, and 30,000 people in Outback areas remained isolated as heavy rain continued across much of eastern Australia, police said Saturday. Ngari Roberts, 64, drowned at Mudgee in central west New South Wales state when her motorcycle was swept downstream as she tried to cross a swollen creek. Her body was discovered late Friday by her husband. The town of Charleville, in western Queensland state, was underwater and officials said an estimated 4,000 people, many waiting on the roofs of the flooded homes, would have to be removed by helicopter and boat. Queensland state premier Wayne Goss declared the central and western areas of his state a disater area and promised financial aid for victinms of the flooding, caused by three weeks of heavy rain. Meteorologists said the rain was the heaviest in 40 years in the region, which is normally dry and dusty. Dozens of small communities remained cut off as the Royal Australian Air Force continued to drop food and supplies to isolated rural towns. A number of usually placid rivers were overflowing, killing thousands of sheep and cattle. Residents of the New South Wales town of Nyngan worked through the night to sandbag the banks of the Bogan River and prevent it from flooding the town center. Some of the 90 passengers in a train surrounded by flood waters near the town of Longreach were evacuated Friday and other passengers were to be airlifted Saturday.
