"Life-threatening" floods inundate northeast Australia
Storm "Jasper" hits Australia's north-east coast with full force in the middle of the week. Heavy rainfall followed. Numerous towns in Queensland are flooded and more than 10,000 households are without power. The government and emergency services urgently advise people not to walk through the floods.
In north-eastern Australia, heavy rainfall has caused "life-threatening" flooding. In the Cairns region, including in the area around the swelling Barron River and below the Copperlode Falls Dam, residents have been urged to seek safety at higher elevations. The airport in the city of Cairns, frequently visited by passionate divers because of the Great Barrier Reef, had to be closed due to flooding. Aircraft were submerged on the tarmac.
The rivers in the region had already flooded in recent days following a tropical storm that also flooded highways and uprooted trees. According to meteorologist Laura Boekel, more than 600 millimeters of rain fell in some areas of Queensland within 24 hours. A further 500 millimetres of rain could fall in the next 24 hours. There could be "dangerous and life-threatening" sudden flooding, she told journalists.
Several emergency centers opened
Queensland's Deputy Prime Minister Steven Miles expressed grave concern about the ongoing rain. "I've spoken to people who have lived in the north of the state all their lives and they say they've never experienced anything like this". According to Miles, more than 10,000 people were without power. Some residents were also trapped in their homes by the storm. According to Australian media, a ten-year-old girl who was struck by lightning in Beerwah and was treated at the children's hospital in Brisbane was still in mortal danger.
Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy reported several evacuation and rescue operations. Five emergency centers had been opened. According to Chelepy, several houses were flooded, but he did not give any figures. The National Disaster Management Authority had been asked for help.
Emergency services warn of dangerous floods
Numerous people had to be rescued after trying to drive through flooded streets, according to the Queensland Fire Service. "We cannot emphasize more clearly how dangerous this is, not only for those who deliberately put themselves in the water, but also for our emergency responders who risk their lives to save you," the fire department wrote on Platform X.
The tropical cyclone "Jasper" reached Australia's north-east coast on Wednesday. The storm, which was initially classified as a level two cyclone, weakened to a low, which continued to cover the region with record-breaking rainfall. The affected region is rather sparsely populated, and it is now the summer rainy season in the tropical climes south of the equator. The authorities warned that the heavy rain would continue for at least another day and that the "life-threatening event" would continue.
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The extreme weather conditions have led to "life-threatening" floods in Queensland, Australia. International aid and support are being sought due to the scale of the natural disaster, with numerous towns and infrastructure affected. The floodwaters have forced the closure of the Cairns airport, causing aircraft to be submerged on the tarmac.
Source: www.ntv.de
