More than 50,000 people have been stranded in eastern Australia as relentless rains triggered widespread flooding for a second consecutive day, turning towns into islands and rivers into raging torrents. The natural disaster has already claimed two lives, with police recovering bodies from floodwaters in the Mid North Coast region, located roughly 400 kilometres north of Sydney.
Emergency services have launched large-scale rescue operations as residents clambered atop vehicles, rooftops, and highway bridges to escape the rising waters. Torrential rainfall — in some areas exceeding half a year’s worth in just three days has overwhelmed river systems and inundated roads, isolating communities and disrupting lives.
New South Wales (NSW) state premier Chris Minns warned of worsening conditions. “We’re bracing for more bad news in the next 24 hours. This natural disaster has been terrible for this community,” he said.
The town of Kempsey, situated along the swollen Macleay River, was cut off suddenly. “You often think of rain on a tin roof as relaxing, but at the moment it is deafening and horrible,” Kempsey Mayor Kinne Ring remarked. She added that over 20,000 people in her jurisdiction were isolated.
In Taree, about 140 kilometres south, business owner Jeremy Thornton described the situation as “gut-wrenching,” saying the community was being traumatized by the constant sound of helicopters and sirens.
Dramatic rescues have taken place across the region, including an elderly couple who climbed onto their car’s roof to escape a flash flood before being airlifted to safety. Others were rescued from elevated highway bridges by navy helicopters.
Floodwaters have swept livestock into rivers, with locals reporting dead cows washing ashore along beaches. Authorities are still searching for two missing individuals, and the federal government has declared the situation a natural disaster unlocking emergency funding and support.
With rivers yet to reach peak levels in some areas, residents are urged to remain vigilant. The deluge is expected to continue, raising fears of further devastation in already hard-hit regions.
