EASTERN AUSTRALIA REELS FROM FLOODS: TWO DEAD, 50,000 STRANDED

Thu 22 May 2025:

Relentless downpours battered eastern Australia for a second day on Thursday, with overflowing rivers flooding roads and isolating nearly 50,000 people.

In Taree, 300 km north of Sydney, police discovered a 63-year-old man’s body in a flooded home, and another body, likely a missing man in his 30s, was found in floodwaters on the Mid North Coast. A massive search and rescue effort was underway as people climbed onto cars, rooftops, and highway bridges to flee the surging, muddy waters.

Torrential rain pummeled Australia’s southeast, triggering flash floods and forcing officials to issue fresh evacuation orders https://t.co/iCfGTlVYHN pic.twitter.com/px4TZAfAOx

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 22, 2025

The storms unleashed over four months’ worth of rain in just two days, with more expected. State Premier Chris Minns warned of worsening conditions in the next 24 hours, calling the disaster devastating for the community.

In Kempsey, a farming town along the Macleay River, 20,000 residents were cut off suddenly, with Mayor Kinne Ring describing the rain as “deafening and horrific,” leaving residents anxious about what’s next.

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In Taree, business owner Jeremy Thornton called the flood “heart-wrenching,” one of the worst he’d witnessed, with constant rain, helicopter noise, and sirens amplifying the crisis. Authorities noted that some rivers have yet to peak, potentially stranding 50,000 people. Police expressed serious concern for three missing individuals.

An elderly couple was rescued by helicopter after climbing onto their car’s roof to escape a sudden flash flood, while others were saved from a highway bridge by a navy Seahawk helicopter. Australia’s recent wild weather, from its arid interior to tropical coasts, is linked to “abnormally warm” surrounding oceans, per the government weather bureau. Warmer seas increase atmospheric moisture, fueling intense rainfall.

Scientists, including Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain, note that climate change is driving more frequent and severe weather events globally and in Australia. Around 2,500 emergency workers, supported by rescue boats, helicopters, and drones, are deployed, but McBain warned the worst is not over.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts conditions won’t improve until Friday.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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