At least four individuals have lost their lives as unprecedented floods wreak havoc across eastern Australia, covering homes in silt, destroying roads, and leaving approximately 50,000 residents without assistance.
Authorities have recovered four bodies from the extensive floodwaters that have inundated areas in northern New South Wales, a fertile region situated around 400km north of Sydney.
As waters began to recede this morning, salvage teams were gearing up for a significant clean-up effort, assessing the destruction caused by six months’ worth of rain that fell within just three days.
“Our central business district was flooded; many businesses have been affected, and it’s going to be a huge undertaking to clean up,” said Kinne Ring, the mayor of the affected agricultural town of Kempsey.
An infographic map of eastern Australia showing the accumulated rainfall in the past seven days
“Water is seeping through the foundations of homes; it’s truly distressing to witness, and it may take some time for the water levels to decrease,” she continued.
Dallas Burnes, head of the State Emergency Service, reported that over 2,000 personnel have been deployed to the disaster-affected region.
“We are currently focusing on resupplying isolated communities,” he noted, mentioning that 50,000 individuals remain stranded due to the flooding.
Mr. Burnes stated that rescue teams have successfully saved more than 600 people since the floods began earlier this week.
Several individuals had to climb onto vehicles, rooftops, and highway bridges before being hoisted to safety by helicopters.
The storms have unleashed more than six months’ worth of rainfall within just three days, according to Australia’s government meteorological bureau, breaking flood-height records in various locations.
“We are witnessing river, creek, and tributary levels that we haven’t observed since 1920,” state premier Chris Minns told reporters yesterday.
“Many residents will never have experienced such extreme flooding in their neighborhoods,” he added.
‘Heart-wrenching’
In Taree, business owner Jeremy Thornton described the “heart-wrenching” flood as among the most severe he has ever witnessed.
Flood water is seen flowing through Parramatta Wharf in Sydney
“It’s challenging; we’ve had our moments, but we must persevere,” he said.
“We’re reliving it every moment — listening to the rain, the helicopters, and the sirens,” he added.
The government has declared a natural disaster, which activates additional resources for the affected regions.
From the dry outback to the tropical coastline, vast areas of Australia have recently been battered by severe weather conditions.
The oceans surrounding Australia have been “abnormally warm” in recent months, according to the national meteorological bureau.
Warmer seas lead to increased evaporation of moisture into the atmosphere, which can later result in heavier rainfall.
While it’s difficult to connect climate change directly to specific disasters, experts caution that it is already contributing to more extreme weather patterns.
Flood modeling expert Mahdi Sedighkia remarked that this week’s crisis provided “convincing evidence” of how climate change could alter regional weather patterns.
