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The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Climate
- 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.
eNCA
24-05-2025
- Climate
- eNCA
Thousands remain isolated as floods ease in eastern Australia
MELBOURNE - 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. 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. 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.
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Climate
- 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.
France 24
24-05-2025
- Climate
- France 24
Thousands remain isolated as floods ease in eastern Australia
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. 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. © 2025 AFP
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
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. 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. 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. dgi/mtp
