Authorities in eastern Australia warned Tuesday that a long recovery was ahead after mud-brown floodwaters overwhelmed scores of houses and caused “incredible” devastation.
In parts of Queensland, storms have dumped over 1.5 meters (59 inches) of rain in the last week, flooding highways, businesses, and residences, according to officials.
“The devastation is quite frankly, incredible,” the state’s premier, David Crisafulli, told a news conference.
“There are people who have been inundated at home, at their businesses and in their farms.”
The Great Barrier Reef’s major tourist destination, Townsville, “dodged a bullet” when flood warnings were lowered overnight, he added.
Officials stated that although residents of Townsville were permitted to go back to their homes on Tuesday, they should be on the lookout for any more evacuation orders.
In a separate interview with national network ABC, the premier stated that the waters had probably flooded “well north” of 100 homes in Ingham, a rural town with a population of approximately 4,500.
“This is going to be a recovery that goes for a week or a month, this is going to take some time,” Crisafulli said.
A 63-year-old woman was killed in Ingham on Sunday after the rescue boat she was being carried in struck a tree and capsized, officials said — the only confirmed death in the floods. Many rural communities were isolated by floodwaters, which cut off roads and swept away part of a bridge on the state’s main coastal Bruce Highway.
Ergon Energy reported that about 8,000 properties in north Queensland were without electricity, but it did not specify when the power will be restored.
Scientists have warned that heatwaves and other extreme weather events, like severe flooding, droughts, and wildfires, will become more common and more powerful as global temperatures rise due to climate change.
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