Australia Floods Claim Four Lives, Thousands Left Stranded

SYDNEY: On Friday, authorities recovered the body of a man from a vehicle caught in floodwaters in southeastern Australia, bringing the death toll to four. This follows three days of relentless rain that cut off towns, swept away livestock, and obliterated homes.

Police reported that the man was discovered near Coffs Harbour, approximately 550 kilometers (342 miles) north of Sydney. Search efforts are ongoing for another individual reported missing since the onset of the flooding earlier this week.

Emergency services indicated that around 50,000 individuals remain isolated, while residents returning to their homes faced warnings about potential hazards.

“Floodwaters can harbor contaminants, including vermin and snakes, so it’s crucial to evaluate those risks. There’s also the danger of electricity,” stated Damien Johnston, Deputy Commissioner of State Emergency Services, during a news conference.

Video footage from television showed submerged intersections and street signs, with vehicles nearly entirely submerged, as rapidly rising waters overflowed riverbanks in the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia’s most densely populated state.

Debris washed ashore from the floods, alongside lost and deceased livestock.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to postpone his planned visit to Taree, one of the most severely affected towns, due to the flooding.

“We attempted to go through with the visit, but circumstances made it impossible, which I believe people can understand,” Albanese informed reporters from Maitland in the Hunter region.

“Our thoughts are with the communities currently cut off. We are here to emphasize that you are not alone.” Australia has been experiencing increasingly severe weather patterns that some experts attribute to climate change. Following droughts and catastrophic wildfires at the end of the last decade, frequent flooding has devastated regions since early 2021.

“What were once infrequent storms are now becoming the new standard—climate change is reshaping Australia’s weather patterns, one flood at a time,” commented Davide Faranda, a weather researcher at ClimaMeter.

Disruptions in Sydney

A wild weather system that unleashed approximately four months’ worth of rain over three days moved south towards Sydney on Thursday night, resulting in heavy rainfall, though the weather agency projected a decrease in intensity by Friday evening.

Waterlogged rail tracks affected various suburban train lines in Sydney, including airport services, while Sydney Airport had to close two of its three runways for one hour Friday morning due to high winds, resulting in flight delays.

The Warragamba Dam, which supplies 80% of Sydney’s drinking water, is currently operating at about 96% capacity and could overflow, officials reported.