SYDNEY, Australia. The death toll from catastrophic flooding in southeastern Australia has climbed to four, as emergency crews discovered the body of a man trapped inside a vehicle inundated by floodwaters near Coffs Harbour, roughly 550 kilometers north of Sydney.
The devastating weather system, which dumped the equivalent of four months of rain in just three days, has left entire towns isolated, swept away livestock, and destroyed homes across the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales (NSW), the country’s most populous state.
Authorities confirmed that around 50,000 people remain stranded, even as conditions slightly improved by Friday. Search operations are ongoing for another individual who has been missing since the deluge began earlier this week.
Emergency services are working around the clock to deliver essential supplies to isolated communities, but residents returning to their homes are being warned of serious hazards.
“If your home or premise has been inundated, floodwaters have contaminants. There can be vermin, snakes … So you need to assess those risks. Electricity can also pose a danger as well,”
– NSW Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Damien Johnston
TV footage showed streets completely submerged, vehicles covered up to their windshields, and roads turned into rivers. In rural towns, rivers burst their banks and unleashed a torrent of floodwaters, dragging debris, animal carcasses, and uprooted vegetation to the coast.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would personally visit the worst-hit areas on Friday to assess the damage and coordinate relief.
“It’s pretty horrific, the conditions … this is a really serious situation,”
– Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking to Triple M Newcastle
More than 100 schools remained shut, and thousands of properties are still without electricity. Emergency officials warn that river levels will remain above danger thresholds for several more days.
To add to concerns, Warragamba Dam, Sydney’s primary water source and currently at 96% capacity, may soon spill over following the recent downpour, potentially exacerbating flooding risks in downstream areas.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the intense weather system, which moved south toward Sydney on Thursday, is expected to weaken by Friday evening, offering battered communities a slight reprieve.
As Australians brace for the aftermath, relief efforts are intensifying, but the road to recovery will be long and arduous.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
