Thousands Evacuated In Australia As Scary Flooding Escalates

Torrential downpours lashed Australia’s east Monday, forcing thousands to flee the worst flooding in decades and pushing communities already battling drought, bushfires, and the coronavirus pandemic to “breaking point”.

Around 18,000 residents were told to evacuate their homes, as days of relentless rainfall caused rivers in Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, to their highest levels in 30 years.

The military is being deployed to help with search and rescue, in what has been called a “one-in-50-years event“.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology has forecast “increased rainfall, strong winds, damaging surf and abnormally high tides” in New South Wales on Tuesday.

It also said that some 10 million people across every state and territory except Western Australia were now under a weather warning.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said no deaths had been reported by late Monday – describing it as “a miracle given what we have been through“.

Sydney residents posted pictures on social media of flooded roads and rising waters nears their homes.