Floods kill four and devastate eastern Australia
Record-breaking floods in eastern Australia have killed four people and stranded tens of thousands after days of relentless rain, Al Jazeera reports.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Christopher Minns visited affected communities on Friday, some of which have experienced their worst flooding on record this week.
Minns praised emergency workers and volunteers, who have rescued 678 people in recent days – 177 of them in the past 24 hours.
Flash floods tore through rural communities, washing away livestock, damaging homes, and turning streets into rivers. Coastal areas are now littered with debris and dead animals.
Authorities have warned returning residents to remain vigilant.
The storm system has now moved south towards Sydney, causing further disruption.
Train services, including airport services, were affected by flooded tracks. Sydney airport shut two of its three runways for an hour on Friday morning, delaying flights.
Officials also warned that Warragamba Dam, which supplies 80 percent of Sydney’s water and is currently at 96 percent capacity, may soon overflow.
Earlier it was reported that at least 21 people were killed amid fierce storms battering parts of the U.S. Midwest and South with major flooding and powerful tornadoes in early April.