Australia's deadliest floods in years kill 4, leave 50,000 stranded in crisis

Time of India

23-05-2025

Australia is facing one of its most devastating flood crises in decades. In New South Wales, relentless torrential rains have submerged entire towns. The disaster has resulted in at least four confirmed deaths, with one person still missing.
The latest death was a man in his 70s who was found deceased in a submerged car north-west of Coffs Harbour this morning.
Approximately 50,000 residents are isolated due to road closures and power outages. Emergency services have conducted over 670 rescues, many involving individuals who attempted to drive through floodwaters.
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Approximately 2,500 emergency workers, including 2,200
NSW SES
volunteers and professionals, have been deployed to the affected regions. They are supported by over 500 vehicles and boats, 13 helicopters, and hundreds of drones.
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Power outages and infrastructure damage
Power outages continue to affect thousands of people, particularly in the Mid North Coast region. Essential Energy, a state-owned electricity infrastructure company, has reported that the worst-affected areas are around Taree, where falling vegetation and rising floodwaters have damaged powerlines.
As of 6:00 AM(Local time) on Friday, May 23, 2025, Essential Energy reports that over 5,720 homes and businesses remain without power across the Mid North Coast.
Crews work tirelessly to restore electricity, but progress is hindered by hazardous conditions such as fallen trees, floodwaters, and limited access to affected areas. In many areas, helicopters and drones are being deployed to assess and repair damage in hard-to-reach locations.
Hundreds of roads are also closed or experiencing changed conditions due to the impact on traffic across affected areas. The Warragamba Dam, Sydney's primary water source, is at 96% capacity, raising concerns about potential spills in the coming days
Dairy stocks and livestock losses
In Barrington, dairy farmer James McRae reported that entire herds were swept away as the river burst its banks, leaving families with nothing. Similarly, in the Lower Macleay region, Sue McGinn described the situation as an animal welfare crisis, with her 200 cows enduring harsh conditions and limited access to food.
Floodwaters have inundated farms, destroying feed supplies and damaging infrastructure. The full economic impact is still being assessed, but early estimates suggest millions of dollars in damages.
Rescues and warnings
Over 670 flood rescues have been carried out since the event began, including 177 in the 24 hours leading up to 5 am this morning. More than 150 flood warnings are active across NSW, with 40 at critical emergency level, prompting urgent "shelter in place or evacuate" orders from the
NSW
State Emergency Service (SES).
Government action
Both the Australian federal and New South Wales (NSW) state governments have mounted a substantial and coordinated response to the ongoing flood crisis, prioritizing immediate life-saving operations and laying the groundwork for recovery.
Beyond the immediate crisis, comprehensive financial and practical assistance is being rolled out. The declaration of a
natural disaster
has unlocked federal and state grants, including the Disaster Recovery Allowance for income support in four severely impacted local government areas, with claims opening on Monday.
Prime Minister Anthony noted that the federal disaster recovery allowance payment had been activated, giving support to people in affected areas, with 16 local government areas where disaster assistance has been triggered.
Joint government funding is also available for emergency accommodation, essential items, grants for uninsured residents, and loans for businesses and farmers to aid in their recovery.
High-level leadership, including Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese
and NSW Premier Chris Minns, is planning to visit the flood zones to assess damage firsthand and express solidarity with affected communities. However, they are unable to reach Taree as of now due to a flood-cut road.
What's next?
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned that heavy downpours, potentially bringing up to 160mm of rain, will extend south through NSW today. While the hardest-hit Mid North Coast and Hunter regions may see some reprieve from the heaviest falls, river systems remain dangerously high, and the threat of flash flooding looms over areas further south, including Sydney.
Experts widely agree that climate change is intensifying extreme rainfall events, making floods more frequent and severe in Australia.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said, 'Every weather event can't be traced down specifically to climate change, because there's always been extreme weather events in Australia. But what you can say is … the science told us they'd be more frequent and more intense and that's precisely what is happening, which is why my government are taking it so seriously.'
While the heaviest rain may ease in some areas, river levels will remain high for days, and communities will continue to be isolated. Emergency services will remain on high alert for further rescues and to provide essential supplies.
Once floodwaters recede, the immediate focus will shift to assessing the full extent of damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure (roads, bridges, power lines), and agricultural land. This will be followed by massive clean-up operations.
The rebuilding process will be a significant undertaking, likely taking months, if not years, in some severely hit areas.