Severe Flooding Hits Northeastern Australia, Thousands Forced to Flee

Fast-rising floodwaters in northeastern Australia have caused widespread damage, forcing many people to evacuate, leaving homes without power, and even sweeping away part of a crucial bridge. Storms dumped more than a meter (39 inches) of rain in parts of Queensland over the weekend, inundating homes, businesses, and roads with muddy waters.

In aerial footage, rural areas appeared surrounded by floodwaters, with roads to nearby communities cut off. The state’s premier, David Crisafulli, warned that more rain and flooding are expected to continue across northern Queensland, including flash flooding and river flooding. Emergency services carried out 11 “swift water rescues” overnight.

Townsville, a popular tourist destination near the Great Barrier Reef, was declared a “black zone” due to severe flooding, with around 2,100 people ordered to evacuate. However, about 10 percent of residents refused to leave. Tragically, a woman in her 60s died when a rescue boat capsized in the flood-hit town of Ingham.

A critical section of the Bruce Highway was cut off after a concrete bridge over Ollera Creek was swept away by the floods. Nearly 11,000 homes across north Queensland were left without power, and no timeline has been given for when electricity will be restored.

The heavy rain is expected to continue for another 24 hours, with some areas set to receive up to 12 inches of rain. Emergency services have warned that the floodwaters could peak in Townsville on Tuesday morning, leaving many communities isolated.