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.
“It’s an amazing, heroic logistical effort where, in very difficult circumstances, many volunteers put themselves in harm’s way to rescue a complete stranger,” Minns told reporters.
“Without the volunteers, we would have had hundreds of deaths and we’re in deep, deep gratitude.”
As well as the four victims killed, one person is reported missing.
About 50,000 people are still isolated across New South Wales, the country’s most populous state. Entire towns remain cut off and roads submerged after a powerful weather system dumped months of rain in three days.
🚨🇦🇺 Australia Flood Emergency
— The Curious Quill (@PleasingRj) May 23, 2025
🌧️ Half a year’s rain in just 3 days
💀 4 dead, 1 missing
🚁 2,500+ emergency workers deployed
🏚️ 50,000+ stranded
🌊 Rivers still rising — more rain ahead
NSW is in crisis mode as flash floods devastate southeast Australia.
⚠️ Evacuations… pic.twitter.com/8rFZNyLJBJ
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.
“Floodwaters have contaminants, there can be vermin, snakes … so you need to assess those risks. Electricity can also pose a danger as well,” said Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Damien Johnston.
Australia has faced a string of extreme weather events in recent years, a trend experts attribute to climate change.
“What once were rare downpours are now becoming the new normal – climate change is rewriting Australia’s weather patterns, one flood at a time,” said Davide Faranda, a climate researcher at ClimaMeter, in comments carried by the Reuters news agency.
Torrential rain triggers flash floods in southeast Australia, stranding over 50,000 and killing at least two. Over 2,500 emergency personnel were deployed for rescues in New South Wales. More rain is expected, with rivers still rising. #NSW #Rains #Flood pic.twitter.com/75AnekNeiT
— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) May 22, 2025
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.
