Rod McGuirk,
Mar 01 202
Tens of thousands were ordered to evacuate as heavy rains smashed Australia's east coast on Monday, submerging towns and stranding residents on rooftops.
Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia’s southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades.
Scores of residents, some with pets, spent hours trapped on their rooves in recent days by a fast-rising river in the town of Lismore in northern New South Wales, and dozens of cars were trapped on a bridge in the nearby town of Woodburn over Monday night with both the bridge's approaches submerged.
QUEENSLAND FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES/AP
Heavy rain is bringing record flooding to some east coast areas while the flooding in Brisbane, a population of 2.6 million, and its surrounds is the worst since 2011 when the city was inundated by what was described as a once-in-a-century event.
Up to 50 people were rescued from the bridge early Tuesday, officials said.
“We had no capabilities to get them off in the dark so we just had to make sure that they bunkered down and we went in this morning and got them all out,” Woodburn State Emergency Services Commander Ashley Slapp told the ABC.
The flood waters are moving south into New South Wales from Queensland state in the worst disaster in the region since what was described as a once-in-a-century event in 2011.
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said there had been 1000 rescues in his state by Tuesday and more than 6,000 calls for authorities to help.
Perrottet said 40,000 people had been ordered to evacuate, while 300,000 others had been placed under evacuation warnings.
“We’ll be doing everything ... we can to get everybody to safety and get these communities right across our state back on their feet as quickly as possible,” Perrottet told reporters in Sydney.
QUEENSLAND FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES/AP
In this photo provided by the Fraser Coast Regional Council, water floods streets and buildings in Maryborough, Australia on February 28.
Government meteorologist Jonathan Howe described the amount of recent rainfall in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland as “astronomical.”
The death toll from the latest disaster remained at eight with all the fatalities in Queensland. The latest fatality was a man who was trapped in a car in flood water on Monday at Gold Coast city.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said emergency services held grave concerns for a man aged in his 70s who fell from his moored yacht in the state capital Brisbane into a swollen river on Saturday and for a 76-year-old man who disappeared with his vehicle in flood water northwest of Brisbane on Sunday.
QUEENSLAND FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES/AP
A blue barrier helps hold back flood water in a section of Maryborough, Australia.
The extraordinary rainfall comes as the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported this week that vast swathes of Australia have already lost 20 per cent of its rainfall and the country’s fire risk has gone beyond worst-case scenarios developed just a few years ago.
Australia’s hottest and driest year on record was 2019 which ended with devastating wildfires across southeast Australia. The fires directly killed 33 people and another 400 people were killed by the smoke.
The fires also destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed 19 million hecatres of farmland and forests.
But two La Nina weather patterns have since brought above average rainfall to the same regions.
Tens of thousands were ordered to evacuate as heavy rains smashed Australia's east coast on Monday, submerging towns and stranding residents on rooftops.
Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia’s southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades.
Scores of residents, some with pets, spent hours trapped on their rooves in recent days by a fast-rising river in the town of Lismore in northern New South Wales, and dozens of cars were trapped on a bridge in the nearby town of Woodburn over Monday night with both the bridge's approaches submerged.
QUEENSLAND FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES/AP
Heavy rain is bringing record flooding to some east coast areas while the flooding in Brisbane, a population of 2.6 million, and its surrounds is the worst since 2011 when the city was inundated by what was described as a once-in-a-century event.
Up to 50 people were rescued from the bridge early Tuesday, officials said.
“We had no capabilities to get them off in the dark so we just had to make sure that they bunkered down and we went in this morning and got them all out,” Woodburn State Emergency Services Commander Ashley Slapp told the ABC.
The flood waters are moving south into New South Wales from Queensland state in the worst disaster in the region since what was described as a once-in-a-century event in 2011.
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said there had been 1000 rescues in his state by Tuesday and more than 6,000 calls for authorities to help.
Perrottet said 40,000 people had been ordered to evacuate, while 300,000 others had been placed under evacuation warnings.
“We’ll be doing everything ... we can to get everybody to safety and get these communities right across our state back on their feet as quickly as possible,” Perrottet told reporters in Sydney.
QUEENSLAND FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES/AP
In this photo provided by the Fraser Coast Regional Council, water floods streets and buildings in Maryborough, Australia on February 28.
Government meteorologist Jonathan Howe described the amount of recent rainfall in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland as “astronomical.”
The death toll from the latest disaster remained at eight with all the fatalities in Queensland. The latest fatality was a man who was trapped in a car in flood water on Monday at Gold Coast city.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said emergency services held grave concerns for a man aged in his 70s who fell from his moored yacht in the state capital Brisbane into a swollen river on Saturday and for a 76-year-old man who disappeared with his vehicle in flood water northwest of Brisbane on Sunday.
QUEENSLAND FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES/AP
A blue barrier helps hold back flood water in a section of Maryborough, Australia.
The extraordinary rainfall comes as the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported this week that vast swathes of Australia have already lost 20 per cent of its rainfall and the country’s fire risk has gone beyond worst-case scenarios developed just a few years ago.
Australia’s hottest and driest year on record was 2019 which ended with devastating wildfires across southeast Australia. The fires directly killed 33 people and another 400 people were killed by the smoke.
The fires also destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed 19 million hecatres of farmland and forests.
But two La Nina weather patterns have since brought above average rainfall to the same regions.
Dramatic scenes from northern NSW floods captured from the sky
By A Current Affair Staff|3 hours ago
New South Wales is in the firing line with the Northern Rivers region and in particular Lismore experiencing some of the worst flooding it has ever seen.
There have been distressing calls for help and extraordinary rescue scenes out of Lismore, Bungawalbin, South Ballina, Woodburn and along the Princess Highway.
Dramatic rescues were captured by A Current Affair's cameras from a helicopter flying above flood affected areas.
‣6:50
Brisbane residents angered by lack of flood warnings.
‣3:37
Lismore hero says 'just about every house we went past had people on roofs'.
‣3:56
Lismore gym becomes flood evacuation centre.
READ MORE: Brisbane residents angered by lack of flood warnings
Pregnant women, children and whole families were among those who needed rescuing.
Lismore was the first place in the state to be flooded after a levy that was built to protect the town gave way.
While the river south of Lismore has always been an area that gets hit hard by floods, there wasn't a house nearby that hadn't been inundated with water this time round.
For people impacted by flooding, there is help available.
In an emergency, phone your local SES unit on 132 500.
In life threatening situations call triple zero immediately.
By A Current Affair Staff|3 hours ago
New South Wales is in the firing line with the Northern Rivers region and in particular Lismore experiencing some of the worst flooding it has ever seen.
There have been distressing calls for help and extraordinary rescue scenes out of Lismore, Bungawalbin, South Ballina, Woodburn and along the Princess Highway.
Dramatic rescues were captured by A Current Affair's cameras from a helicopter flying above flood affected areas.
New South Wales is in the firing line with the Northern Rivers region. (A Current Affair)
Lismore is experiencing some of the worst flooding it has ever seen. (A Current Affair)
‣6:50
Brisbane residents angered by lack of flood warnings.
‣3:37
Lismore hero says 'just about every house we went past had people on roofs'.
‣3:56
Lismore gym becomes flood evacuation centre.
READ MORE: Brisbane residents angered by lack of flood warnings
Pregnant women, children and whole families were among those who needed rescuing.
Lismore was the first place in the state to be flooded after a levy that was built to protect the town gave way.
While the river south of Lismore has always been an area that gets hit hard by floods, there wasn't a house nearby that hadn't been inundated with water this time round.
There wasn't a house in the area that hadn't been inundated with water. (A Current Affair)
READ MORE: Dozens left with no option but to head to their roofs and wait for help
While some of the water had dropped off slightly today, there were still people moving about – a lot of them in canoes.
Lismore airport was totally flooded, with some of the smaller aircraft appearing as if they'd been thrown around like toys.
In Woodburn people could be seen trapped on a bridge after they parked their cars there in the hope they would be safe
READ MORE: Dozens left with no option but to head to their roofs and wait for help
While some of the water had dropped off slightly today, there were still people moving about – a lot of them in canoes.
Lismore airport was totally flooded, with some of the smaller aircraft appearing as if they'd been thrown around like toys.
In Woodburn people could be seen trapped on a bridge after they parked their cars there in the hope they would be safe
.
There have been distressing calls for help and extraordinary rescue scenes out of Lismore, Bungawalbin, South Ballina, Woodburn and along the Princess Highway. (A Current Affair)
In Woodburn people could be seen trapped on a bridge after they parked their cars there in the hope they would be safe. (A Current Affair)
READ MORE: Lismore hero says 'just about every house we went past had people on roofs'
Most of the roads around the town of Woodburn were blocked, which left some people isolated.
Debris could be seen everywhere today, showing the destruction caused to local businesses and as authorities were overwhelmed, locals went out themselves in boats and tinnies to help with the rescue mission.
READ MORE: Lismore hero says 'just about every house we went past had people on roofs'
Most of the roads around the town of Woodburn were blocked, which left some people isolated.
Debris could be seen everywhere today, showing the destruction caused to local businesses and as authorities were overwhelmed, locals went out themselves in boats and tinnies to help with the rescue mission.
For people impacted by flooding, there is help available.
In an emergency, phone your local SES unit on 132 500.
In life threatening situations call triple zero immediately.
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