Australia floods: Submerged airport, people on rooftops waiting for evacuation
Floods in Australia (Getty Images)
Floods in northern Queensland, Australia, provoked by the heaviest rain in decades, resulted in the complete evacuation of a town, with people stranded on the roof. It even brought a crocodile into the town, CNN and BBC report.
Cairns, a city known as the entry point to the Great Barrier Reef, has been isolated because of heavy rains caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper. It experienced over 2 meters of rainfall since the onset of the extreme weather.
Images show planes submerged at Cairns airport, it was closed over the weekend, with all flights canceled.
Floods in Australia (BBC)
“We have people stuck on roofs there that have been there all night,” Queensland Premier Steven Miles said.
Fortunately, no deaths or missing persons have been reported so far.
Authorities anticipate that this will be the most severe flood in the history of the Australian region as the rainfall is expected to last for another 24 hours.
Around 300 people were rescued, but numerous houses were submerged. Besides, roads and power have been disrupted, leaving nearly 15,000 residents without electricity, authorities say.
Floods in Australia (CNN)
Evacuation
The immediate focus is on the evacuation of those trapped in rising waters, specifically in the remote town of Wujal Wujal, located approximately 175 km north of Cairns. Emergency crews were unable to reach nine people, including a sick child, who spent the night on the hospital roof. The entire town now faces evacuation.
Premier Miles also expressed concerns about various critical infrastructure, including drinking water, sewerage, power, telecommunications, and blocked roads. A planned evacuation on Monday had to be delayed because of the weather conditions, with another attempt scheduled for Tuesday morning.
State officials estimate that the economic losses will exceed $670 million.
Floods recently waged
The October-November floods in Somalia resulted in at least 96 people dead. The floods have affected over 2.3 million people, with more than 900,000 being displaced from their homes. Over 4,000 livestock have perished and 136,045 properties, including houses and cars, have been destroyed.
In September, a massive flood transpired in Libya brought about by Storm Daniel. Additionally, a dam near the eastern city of Derna reportedly burst on September 12, killing over 2,000 people.
