Deadly Floods Devastate Eastern Australia, Stranding Tens of Thousands
Catastrophic flooding across eastern Australia has claimed four lives and left tens of thousands stranded, as communities reel from days of relentless rainfall that has triggered some of the worst floods in the region’s history, as per Al Jazeera.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Christopher Minns toured hard-hit areas on Friday, where emergency services continue to grapple with the aftermath of record-breaking rainfall that submerged entire towns and isolated around 50,000 residents.
Minns praised the efforts of emergency workers and volunteers who have conducted hundreds of daring rescues in treacherous conditions.
“It’s an amazing, heroic logistical effort,” he said. “Without the volunteers, we would have had hundreds of deaths. We’re in deep, deep gratitude.”
Since the weather system struck, 678 people have been rescued — including 177 in the past 24 hours alone. One person remains missing.
The floods, which dumped several months’ worth of rain in just three days, have transformed rural roads into rivers, washed away livestock, and left widespread destruction in their wake. Coastal communities are now strewn with debris and dead animals, as authorities work to assess damage and restore access to stranded populations.
Sydney and surrounding areas remain under threat as the powerful storm system moves southward. Flooded tracks have disrupted train services, including those to Sydney Airport, which was forced to close two of its three runways for an hour on Friday morning, delaying numerous flights.
Authorities are also closely monitoring Warragamba Dam — Sydney’s primary water source — which is at 96 percent capacity and may overflow if heavy rainfall continues.
