Desperate calls for help were received by the authorities – also via social networks. Especially around the city of Lismore, the levels had previously risen extremely quickly.
Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg described the situation as “unprecedented” and “life-threatening”, stating, “To say it is catastrophic is no understatement.” More than 15,000 people in the region have already been brought to safety from the floods. “We’ve never seen anything like it around here,” the Australian news agency AAP quoted the mayor as saying.
It was preceded by days of torrential rain. The trigger for the extreme weather is a low-pressure area that is only moving slowly. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke of a “crisis situation” and wanted to consult with the country’s emergency authorities on how to proceed. He promised those affected financial and logistical support. According to the media, desperate scenes played out. Many Australians were in tears.
Numerous rescue workers tried under the most difficult conditions to get people to safety from the roofs before nightfall, as reported by the broadcaster 9News. “Dozens of people are trapped by the water – they cannot escape unless they are rescued by boat,” the broadcaster said. Some residents punched holes in their roofs – the only escape route when their houses flooded. Sometimes the water is up to the ceiling.
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An easing of the situation was not yet in sight: meteorologists predicted further rain for the next few days. Floods had also recently occurred in Australia’s largest city, Sydney – according to experts, it was the rainiest summer in the metropolis in 30 years.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring state of Queensland, the death toll rose to eight. Police say three people are still missing. The metropolis of Brisbane and the cities of Gympie and Maryborough as well as areas along the Sunshine Coast were particularly badly affected. In some areas it has rained as much in a few days as it normally does in a whole year.
Tens of thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed by the catastrophic floods, it said. Whole streets would have turned into rivers. Over 50,000 homes were without power. Hundreds of schools remained closed, public transport such as buses, trains and ferries stopped operating.
Australia is particularly hard hit by climate change. In mid-January, large parts of Down Under were still sweating under a relentless heatwave. In the west of the country, values of more than 50 degrees were recorded in some cases.
Source: Nachrichten
