Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Deadly downpours, floods pummel eastern Australia

Deadly downpours, floods pummel eastern Australia

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
A woman makes her way next to spillover from the flooded Parramatta river at the ferry wharf in Sydney on Wednesday after heavy rain lashed eastern Australia. AFP

Deadly downpours, floods pummel eastern Australia

Torrential downpours lashed eastern Australia on February 26, raising deadly floodwaters to decades-long highs, swamping homes and sweeping away cars.

Police in the eastern state of Queensland said they had found the body of a 37-year-old man, raising the flooding death toll to at least five people.

Images of southeast Queensland broadcast on Australian media showed homes and roads flooded, areas of land transformed into lakes and a large chunk of a concrete pier floating down the fast-running Brisbane River.

The water snatched the car of a team of four emergency services workers who were heading to rescue a family from their flooded home overnight, said state police disaster coordinator Steve Gollschewski.

“The vehicle in which they were travelling was swept off the road into floodwaters. Three of our members were rescued. One of those members is deceased,” Gollschewski told a news conference.

Elsewhere, another man’s body was found overnight.

“In some parts of southeast Queensland, this is the biggest event that they will see in a number of decades,” said state police and emergency services minister Mark Ryan.

“And the rain has not stopped – in fact, there are some parts where it is intensifying.”

The Queensland town of Gympie was facing a “hell of a lot of water” as the Mary River rose, Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig was quoted as saying by national broadcaster ABC.

In the town’s Royal Hotel, “without a submarine or a snorkel, you will not be having a beer,” Hartwig said.

“It’s floor-to-ceiling and over the roof in some areas.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Mary River could rise above 21m at Gympie. It may exceed levels last seen there in February 1999, the bureau of meteorology said.

As a precaution, Queensland would be issuing evacuation alerts, notably targeting about 700 residents in the Gympie area, the premier said.

“If we don’t do this now people will become isolated and trapped,” she warned.

The premier said her “heart goes out” to the volunteer emergency services worker, 62-year-old Merryl Dray, who died “trying to save her community”.

Emergency services had responded to more than 1,800 calls for help in 24 hours in southeast Queensland, officials said.

Rainfall in some areas of the state had exceeded records going back decades, said senior Queensland meteorologist David Grant.

He predicted further rain on February 27 as the weather system moved away more slowly than had been anticipated.

“There is now going to be an increased risk of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, and even the potential for localised landslides,” he told a news conference.

Heavy rain also hit the state capital Brisbane.

“Essentially we’ve seen a month’s worth of rainfall fall in one day for just Brisbane alone,” Grant said.

Rescuers undertook 132 rescues in swift water conditions in 24 hours, said Greg Leach, Queensland’s commissioner for fire and emergency services.

“Our catchments are completely saturated. Our rivers are rising. We have flash flooding. Now is not the time to be out in southeast Queensland if you don’t have to be,” Leach said.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom