Australia Floods: 5 dead, 10,000+ homes lost, Sydney faces tough times as streets turn into rivers and rooftops into islands
NSW Floods: Devastating floods in New South Wales have claimed five lives and damaged over 10,000 properties, turning entire neighborhoods into isolated islands as residents face a massive cleanup and recovery effort
Synopsis New South Wales faces devastating floods. The death toll rises. Thousands of properties are damaged. Many residents remain trapped. Rescue and relief operations are underway. Weather forecasts predict strong winds. Emergency warnings are in place. The government pledges assistance. Insurance claims are increasing. Residents are urged to stay vigilant. Recovery efforts face challenges. The situation remains critical in Sydney. New South Wales continues to battle severe floods, with the death toll rising to 5, over 10,000 properties damaged, and more than 50,000 residents still trapped. The Insurance Council of Australia reports over 1,600 claims, a number expected to rise
ADVERTISEMENT Emergency services continue rescue and relief operations, while weather forecasts predict strong winds, complicating recovery efforts.
Emergency warnings remain in place across multiple regions, including Bellingen, Kempsey, and the Hunter Valley, and residents are urged to stay informed and follow directives from emergency services.
Also Read: Australia's deadliest floods in years kill 4, leave 50,000 stranded in crisisThe NSW State Emergency Service (SES) continues to coordinate rescue and relief efforts, with assistance from interstate agencies.
ADVERTISEMENT The situation remains dire in Sydney as suburbs such as Sydney Olympic Park and North Parramatta have recorded rainfall exceeding 100mm in the past 24 hours, leading to flash flooding and evacuation orders. The SES has urged residents in low-lying areas to prepare for potential evacuations, emphasizing the dangers of remaining in flood-prone zones.Transportation networks have been severely impacted. Floodwaters have inundated key roads, including parts of the Pacific Highway, and disrupted train services across multiple lines. Sydney Airport has also experienced delays due to the adverse weather conditions.
ADVERTISEMENT Also read: Sydney streets turn rivers, flights cancelled, trains stranded as flood water plays havocThe Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has reported over 1,600 claims related to the flooding, a number expected to increase as residents assess damage. ICA CEO Andrew Hall emphasized the importance of lodging claims promptly and advised those uncertain about their insurer to check banking records for payment details.
ADVERTISEMENT Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg highlighted the risk of entire regions becoming uninsurable due to escalating premiums, urging insurers to consider flood-resilient rebuilding efforts in their assessments.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged federal assistance, confirming that applications for disaster recovery funding will open on Monday(May 26) through Services Australia. NSW Premier Chris Minns has not ruled out extending the Northern Rivers' home buyback scheme to other affected regions, pending detailed flood damage assessments.
ADVERTISEMENT Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain commended the state's handling of the crisis and reiterated the availability of support for affected residents. The SES continues to provide essential services, including medical deliveries and evacuations for those unable to access healthcare facilities.While rainfall has subsided, the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts strong winds of 30 to 50 km/h, with gusts up to 90 km/h, particularly in coastal areas on Monday and Tuesday. These conditions may hinder recovery efforts and pose additional risks to already vulnerable communities.
Residents are advised to remain vigilant, adhere to road closures, and avoid floodwaters, as conditions can change rapidly. The SES emphasizes that even if water has receded, closed roads are still deemed unsafe.
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The Hindu
24-05-2025
- The Hindu
Thousands remain isolated as floods ease in eastern Australia
Tens of thousands of Australians remained isolated and thousands were without power on Saturday (May 24, 2025), authorities said as conditions in New South Wales eased after days of heavy rain that caused widespread flooding. Floodwaters were slowly subsiding but more than 20 emergency warnings remained in place, with the focus shifting to assessing properties and delivering supplies to cut-off communities. NSW emergency authorities estimated up to 10,000 properties had been damaged by flooding, mostly in central and northern parts of the state. Many communities were still isolated, with 50,000 people estimated to be impacted, NSW State Emergency Services (SES) said. "We will continue to resupply those isolated residents by land, water and air as part of our multi-agency response," SES Chief Superintendent Paul McQueen said. "We ask you to be patient, remain in a safe location and please don't be tempted to drive through floodwaters or go sightseeing." The death toll stood at five after the body of a man in his 80s was found at a property near Taree, one of the worst-hit towns. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was unable to visit Taree, as planned, because of treacherous access. "Conditions remain critical with flood and evacuation warnings in place," Mr. Albanese said on X. "We're continuing to work closely across federal, state and local governments to make sure Australians get the support they need now and through recovery." More than 600 flood rescues were carried out over the previous three days, prompting NSW Premier Chris Minns to praise the work of emergency services. "We would have had hundreds of deaths if it wasn't for the bravery, the courage of emergency service workers in the last 72 hours," he told journalists. SES deputy commissioner Daniel Austin said he expected the number of warnings to decrease over the weekend but urged motorists to avoid driving in floodwaters. He said stagnant water posed a health risk and that vermin and snakes could make their way into homes. The storms dumped more than six months' worth of rain over three days, according to the government weather bureau, smashing records in some areas. Although difficult to link to specific disasters, scientists warn that climate change is already fuelling more extreme weather patterns.
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Hans India
Over 10,000 properties damaged in floodwaters in Australia
Sydney: Emergency service authority of Australia's state of New South Wales (NSW) said on Saturday that early estimates suggest more than 10,000 properties have been damaged in floodwaters in the state's eastern regions. The State Emergency Service (SES) Chief Superintendent Paul McQueen told reporters on Saturday morning that crews would be "out in force" to start the damage assessment process. "I reiterate this is still a dangerous situation where significant impacts to infrastructure and properties are likely to have occurred," he said. "Unfortunately, it is not possible to let people return to their homes until water further subsides and we're sure they can access their homes and communities safely." The NSW Police said in a statement on Friday evening that rescue officers found a body inside a burnt-out vehicle at a property on the flood-hit Mid North Coast. It marks the fifth death in the widespread flooding crisis that has hit the Mid North Coast and surrounding regions following five consecutive days of torrential rainfall, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier on May 23, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns toured the regions north of Sydney that have been inundated by widespread flooding following five consecutive days of torrential rainfall. As of Friday afternoon, more than 50,000 people remained cut off by flooding, and emergency services were continuing to conduct rescue operations by boat and helicopter. As of Friday afternoon, emergency services had conducted 736 flood rescue operations in total. The severe weather system that brought the torrential rainfall moved south on Friday and, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), could move out of NSW by midnight. Despite the easing conditions, authorities have warned that river levels could continue to rise. As around 50,000 residents across the NSW Mid North Coast and Hunter regions are urged to prepare to evacuate, experts are warning that entering floodwaters poses one of the most significant threats to life. "Four-wheel drives may provide a false sense of security when attempting to cross floodwater, but research shows that 75 per cent of all floodwater-related fatalities in the past 15 years are associated with these vehicles," Natural Hazards Research Australia CEO Andrew Gissing said in a statement. He cited research showing that 84 per cent of motorists ignore road closure signs, and that young people, particularly men under the age of 29, make up the majority of flood-related deaths. Research conducted after the devastating 2022 floods in northern NSW and southern Queensland revealed that nearly two-thirds of floodwater fatalities occur within 20 km of people's homes, underscoring the dangers residents face in familiar surroundings.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Thousands remain isolated as floods ease in eastern Australia
Tens of thousands of Australians remained isolated and thousands were without power on Saturday, authorities said as conditions in New South Wales eased after days of heavy rain that caused widespread flooding. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Floodwaters were slowly subsiding but more than 20 emergency warnings remained in place, with the focus shifting to assessing properties and delivering supplies to cut-off communities. NSW emergency authorities estimated up to 10,000 properties had been damaged by flooding, mostly in central and northern parts of the state. Many communities were still isolated, with 50,000 people estimated to be impacted, NSW State Emergency Services (SES) said. "We will continue to resupply those isolated residents by land, water and air as part of our multi-agency response," SES Chief Superintendent Paul McQueen said. "We ask you to be patient, remain in a safe location and please don't be tempted to drive through floodwaters or go sightseeing." The death toll stood at five after the body of a man in his 80s was found at a property near Taree, one of the worst-hit towns. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was unable to visit Taree, as planned, because of treacherous access. "Conditions remain critical with flood and evacuation warnings in place," Albanese said on X. "We're continuing to work closely across federal, state and local governments to make sure Australians get the support they need now and through recovery." More than 600 flood rescues were carried out over the previous three days, prompting NSW Premier Chris Minns to praise the work of emergency services. "We would have had hundreds of deaths if it wasn't for the bravery, the courage of emergency service workers in the last 72 hours," he told journalists. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now SES deputy commissioner Daniel Austin said he expected the number of warnings to decrease over the weekend but urged motorists to avoid driving in floodwaters. He said stagnant water posed a health risk and that vermin and snakes could make their way into homes. The storms dumped more than six months' worth of rain over three days, according to the government weather bureau, smashing records in some areas. Although difficult to link to specific disasters, scientists warn that climate change is already fuelling more extreme weather patterns.
