Heavy rain triggered flash floods that cut off some inland towns in Australia’s southeast on Monday, prompting the government to issue new evacuation orders for thousands of rural residents.
The country’s fourth major flooding this year saw wild weather wreak havoc on parts of southwest New South Wales (NSW) and northeast Victoria overnight, bursting river banks and exacerbating the misery of flood-weary residents.
On Twitter, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the flash flooding was “creating dangerous conditions” and that the federal government was coordinating rescue efforts with the states.
Roads, bridges, and farms were submerged in rural New South Wales.
Molong, about 300 kilometres (186 miles) northwest of Sydney, was one of the towns impacted by heavy flooding. Social media footage showed a shipping container and household items floating through the town center.
“Almost every shop went under,” Mayor Kevin Beatty told radio station 2GB. He said what appeared to be a shipping container or a caravan was stuck on the highway near the town, making it harder for emergency crews to reach Molong.
After officials determined that an evacuation would be unsafe due to flash flooding, residents in Eugowra, population 800, were ordered to relocate to higher ground.
The east coast of Australia is experiencing a rare third consecutive year of the La Nina weather phenomenon, which is associated with increased rainfall.
There are currently over 100 flood warnings in NSW and 84 in Victoria after weather bureau data revealed that some areas received more than a month’s worth of rain in less than 24 hours.
“We’ve seen a lot of flash flooding where streets have been awash. We’ve had water then entering homes … ankle-deep water in some places,” Victoria state emergency operations chief Tim Wiebusch told.
Over the weekend, South Australia experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms. Hundreds of schools have been forced to close, and thousands of homes remain without power.